Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 July 2022

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media

Governance and Related Issues in Cycling Ireland: Discussion

Dr. Una May:

I am not sure if it is just a comment or a question but I think it is a fair observation that Cycling Ireland has taken this matter very seriously and has implemented the reforms required. Unfortunately we have not seen the same in boxing and the IABA has been in possession of the report for some time.

The report that was commissioned, however, was carried out in consultation with all the members, so everybody was part of the process by which the report was reviewed. The views, opinions and challenges members saw were part of the review. Therefore, the outcomes and the recommendations detailed in the review identify many of these issues and recommend pathways out of the problems that have emerged.

It is important to note as well that, in advance of the EGM, Brian MacNeice had offered to meet with every one of the clubs to help people to understand better what was involved and what the implications and the content of the recommendations were but there was a very small take-up of that offer. One thing is very clear from Sport Ireland's point of view, that is, that we treat all governing bodies equally. We give everybody the same opportunity and try very hard to support governing bodies to try to meet.

In response to Senator Malcolm Byrne's question about the idea as to what we do around our audits, there are often other problems, and we always provide the guidance and support we can in order to ensure we do not get to these situations. Unfortunately, in boxing it escalated beyond our ability to resolve the matters and the matter was taken into the hands of an independent review, which the boxing members chose not to act on. The detail of those recommendations is really important and, unfortunately, it seems that a lot of the members did not fully comprehend or embrace the detail within the recommendations, many of which, I think, would resolve a lot of the concerns we have heard in recent times.

I do not know if Mr. McDermott wishes to add anything.

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