Results 13,461-13,480 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: I want to make a couple of points. One of the issues is that if a new chief executive is not put in under a proper, comprehensive and internationally benchmarked process, the drift could very well continue. That is a huge point. Whatever changes happen, the new CEO, whoever he or she is, is going to be the kingmaker for Irish soccer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is what I am holding onto in this. If that is done, then everything should change. However, I accept Deputy MacSharry's point about what is happening. It is not good enough and we know that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: It might require a degree in science.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: Forgetting everything else, the FAI is not a charity, it is a company. Many of the reforms are processes within committees and so on, which I fully support. What is happening in the context of making the association fully accountable under the Companies Acts? What would happen if there was an insolvency? What role would Sport Ireland have in that regard? This is a serious issue. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: We received a letter earlier, although I appreciate that the Deputy may not have been here, in which FAI offered to come after its annual general meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: The letter is from the president, but I hear the Deputy. I will have no problem in making that request.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: I understand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is something we can discuss in the autumn. While there is a process ongoing, it is appropriate that any citizen involved in it should have his or her right to decide whether to come or not, as he or she so wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: Before that question is answered, I note that it is Fine Gael's turn next. Two members are in attendance and I do not wish to fall out with either of them if they decide who wants to go first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: For the record, we have been fair with everybody-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: -----and the Deputy has been asking questions for 16 minutes. While I acknowledge that it may upset her, I am trying to be fair to everybody.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have no problem with the Deputy finishing the sentence but I am trying to say her time is almost up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: I wish to go back to the point about the Companies Act. I accept the issues concerning the committees and clubs, but this is a commercial operation. That is the question. Its governance is completely and absolutely inadequate. The question of continuity does not arise in my view. They should all go. I understand the emphasis on Mr. Horan's work, which I respect and acknowledge. I do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is of concern to everybody. In fairness to the committee, that is what it has recommended. It was accepted by other parties. That is the compromise as I see it, though obviously I do not agree with it and neither does anybody here. We have to listen. If that is what the committee recommended we cannot change it. However, the organisation can change to make sure that the changes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: In fairness, other members here have not spoken-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: The last point I want to make is that this organisation could in theory be heading into insolvency, as we were saying. How can a body rescue that when it is just an outsider, in one sense, with some legal or statutory duty of care for a certain amount of the organisation's budget? It is a very serious question. Has additional professional help been offered or asked for by the FAI to deal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: Grant Thornton is also managing day-to-day affairs, is that right? I am not trying to put words in Mr. Treacy's mouth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: What are those systems?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. Treacy raised questions about managing the different activities. He mentioned quite a number of them. Who is managing those? What is going on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Governance Review Group Report for the FAI Board and Sport Ireland: Sport Ireland (17 Jul 2019)

Fergus O'Dowd: What about the financial issues?