Sport Ireland demands explanation from Cycling Ireland about board turmoil

Sport Ireland has demanded an explanation from Cycling Ireland about board turmoil in the body after a public clash between its president and directors.

The State supervisor of national sports governing bodies contacted Cycling Ireland on Monday after directors spurned a weekend demand for resignations from Liam Collins, the president of the organisation since November and chairman of the board.

Sport Ireland sought a written clarification from Cycling Ireland on the situation and the organisation promised to provide a letter this week.

“Clearly there are issues at board level within Cycling Ireland,” a Sport Ireland spokesman said in response to questions.

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Public divisions at the top of Cycling Ireland come one week after it admitted using “false quotations” when claiming a €52,100 State grant in 2020. The money was never released, and the Department of Sport suspended its access to capital funding for 12 months.

An internal audit carried out on behalf of Sport Ireland later criticised errors, ineptitude and governance failings at Cycling Ireland. Reports in The Irish Times on the audit are said to have stirred tension at the top of the organisation.

Mr Collins issued a statement on Saturday seeking three board resignations and a wider board overhaul, adding that he himself would resign before an annual general meeting scheduled for November. Board relations were “far from ideal” and was “little prospect” of an improvement in the near future, he said.

Meeting

The board issued a statement on Sunday night after a meeting which Mr Collins did not attend, saying recent events did “nothing to serve the interests” of the sport. They have resolved to hold an extraordinary general meeting to inform Cycling Ireland members about the situation,

Asked whether Sport Ireland would be taking any action arising from the row, a spokesman for the authority said: “On foot of the statements over the weekend Sport Ireland contacted Cycling Ireland seeking clarification of the events of the past few days.

“Sport Ireland will be in a better position to comment on receipt of the letter as it isn’t familiar with all of the matters that have come before the board of Cycling Ireland in recent weeks.”

A Cycling Ireland spokesman said the organisation was “in the process of submitting a letter” to Sport Ireland. “It would be inappropriate to comment prior to Sport Ireland receiving this correspondence.”

The Department of Sport reiterated that the release of any 2022 Sport Ireland funding to the cycling body depends on whether it implements reforms recommended in the audit report.