I can inform the Deputy that during a meeting with Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport officials in June, the President of the association requested that the commitments in the MOU be reviewed. There was a specific request for a review of the commitment relating to the appointment of six independent directors to the board of the association.
Following consultation with the then Ministers, the Department provided a clear and unambiguous response to the association that the relevant rule changes committed to by the association are required to be implemented by the timelines agreed and stated in the MOU. The Department also informed the association that the process to recruit the additional independent directors must be initiated immediately after the date of rule change, and successfully concluded within 16 weeks of that date.
The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin and the Minister of State with responsibility for Sport Jack Chambers met with the Board of the association mentioned by the Deputy on 27 July to confirm that they would not reopen for discussion any part of the MOU agreed by the previous Government. This followed a letter by Minister Martin and then Minister of State Dara Calleary confirming that the conditions for governance reform were essential to rebuild public trust and to enable the disbursement of the funding package set out in the MOU. The Ministers affirmed that no funding would be disbursed by the Department or Sport Ireland to the association until progress was made on key outstanding issues in the memorandum of understanding. The Ministers called on the Board to show leadership to deliver the necessary changes at an extraordinary general meeting convened as early as possible. The Ministers also confirmed their support for Sport Ireland to liaise with the association and verify implementation of the governance and financial control requirements as agreed in January.
