Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will release funding that is being withheld by the Government to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI); his views on whether the OCI is taking all measures possible to improve its corporate governance; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that continuing to withhold this funding will have a detrimental effect on athletes' preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. [42166/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Following the publication of the Moran Inquiry Report in mid-August 2017, I met with the President and Honorary General Secretary of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and received an outline of the considerable progress that has been made in improving corporate governance within the OCI since the election of the new OCI Executive Board in February of this year. I noted the demonstrable commitment to change and reform which has been shown by the new OCI Executive Board.

It is important that Ireland's athletes' preparations for international competition, including for Tokyo 2020 would not be hampered by the events that surrounded and following Rio 2016. In respect of the portion of Sport Ireland funding to the OCI for 2016 which was withheld (€130,000), having satisfied myself that this was entirely spent on athlete related activities, I have decided that it would be in order for these funds to be released. I conveyed this to the OCI at our recent meeting and I have written to the Chair of Sport Ireland in this respect also. I understand that the Board of Sport Ireland is to consider the matter shortly and it would be my expectation that Sport Ireland would soon be in a position to reimburse the outstanding funding in respect of 2016.  

In relation to funding for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle, from 2017 onwards, I recognise the importance of ensuring that the preparation of athletes for those Games should not be adversely affected by the withholding of state funding to the OCI. There is however a need for the OCI to continue progress on its corporate governance reform agenda in the months ahead, and to address, as much as is possible, the legacy issues arising from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. To that end, I have requested Sport Ireland to commence an engagement with the OCI. My Department will be keeping abreast of developments in this matter over the coming months.