Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of the very worrying media attention that the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, IABA, has had over the past week, with the latest news of Bernard Dunne’s departure or resignation - call it what you want. This is the third high-performance coach who has departed the IABA in the last number of years, including my own county man, Billy Walsh, and Gary Keegan. To lose not one, not two, but three shows there is something horrific going on in that organisation. It was described to me by what we might call a whistleblower that the IABA is like the mafia given they are losing so many people. We have seen many amateur boxers going professional with some unwarranted people. That is very concerning. We see volunteers on the ground who are distraught at what is happening. I know the Taoiseach would like the problems in this organisation to be addressed. I ask him, the Government and the Ministers to get involved in this, to sort it out once and for all and to deal with what is happening in the IABA.

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