I wish to refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 58 of last Thursday 16th July, which I have copied below for the Deputy's information.
I can also inform the Deputy that the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin TD and the Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers TD have received briefings from their officials on important priority issues for sport, including this matter. Neither Minister Martin nor Minister Chambers have met with staff of the organisation mentioned in June or July.
The Deputy will be aware that Minister Martin and then Minister of State for sport and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary wrote to the chair of the organisation on 9th July to confirm that the Government would not reopen for discussion any part of the MOU agreed by the previous Government.
Reply to Question No. 58 of 16 July 2020
I am informed by Sport Ireland that it has not released any funds to the association mentioned by the Deputy to date in 2020 and that no funds are scheduled to be paid out by Sport Ireland to the association in advance of an Emergency General Meeting which I understand the association will convene in the near future.
I understand that the association has indicated that its Annual General Meeting will take place in September.
Sport Ireland remains in communication with the association on matters relating to its governance and financial management. Certain firm commitments were provided by the association in a Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on 30 January 2020. Sport Ireland has established a process to oversee and review adherence by the organisation to the commitments given in the MOU.
The association has committed to implementing certain priority recommendations on governance reform and Sport Ireland expects to be in a position to restore funding to the association when these commitments are verifiably honoured.
Neither I nor my colleague, the Chief Whip and Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers TD, have held any meetings with the association since becoming Minister nor have we issued any direction to Sport Ireland in respect of releasing funding to the association.
