Overtaken by events, Shane Ross makes early return from Rio Olympics

As Annalise Murphy sailed her way to a silver medal in Rio on Tuesday, Minister for Sport Shane Ross and Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) president Pat Hickey sat on the sidelines trying to solve the ticketing dilemma that has engulfed the OCI.

The Minister was insisting that there be independent oversight of the OCI’s inquiry into allegations of the illegal sale of Olympics tickets earmarked for Ireland. Hickey had publicly resisted this, insisting that an internal inquiry was sufficient.

Kieran Mulvey, the chairman of the Irish Sports Council and former Labour Relations Commission chairman, had intervened earlier that day. He had contacted Ross and Hickey and asked them to meet him. Ross brought Department of Sport official Ken Spratt with him; Hickey, who has since stepped aside, brought the now acting president of the OCI, Willie O’Brien.

They thrashed out their differences and exchanged ideas. Later, the Minister, Hickey and Mulvey went along to see Murphy compete in the laser radial final. By the time she was collecting her silver medal, an agreement in principle had been reached between the parties.

Hickey would allow the Minister to appoint an independent person to a three-person inquiry board. Ross had decided that Spratt, an assistant secretary in the department, was the man for the job. Hickey had agreed that O’Brien and Denis Heneghan from the OCI would be the other appointees.

The investigation was to begin immediately after the games and go on for about six weeks. A report would then be issued to the Minister, the OCI and the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport.

The OCI president requested more time before giving his consent to the changed inquiry, as he needed to consult legal representatives in Rio and Dublin.

Hickey invited Ross to dinner at an Italian restaurant later that night, but the Minister declined. Mulvey and Hickey both attended a function that evening and Ross contacted Mulvey twice, seeking final confirmation from Hickey that the inquiry was agreed. The Minister was getting anxious as he wanted to announce the development on RTÉ's Nine O'Clock News.

Hickey was told that the Minister needed an answer promptly. The OCI president said he could not give a concrete answer straight away but would give one the following morning.

However, he was arrested by Brazilian police at his hotel in his dressing gown early the following day and taken to hospital, which scuppered the announcement Ross was keen to make.

Following the dramatic events of Wednesday morning, Ross elected to return to Dublin from Rio six days early in order to “make decisive decisions”.

What happens next will be the first major test of his ministerial career.

Within three months of taking office, Ross has had to contend with Luas strikes, threats of industrial action at Dublin Bus and now the OCI controversy.

His responses to the first two have been questionable. He has so far failed to get to grips with this current Olympic saga. But to be fair, events overtook him.

The Dublin Rathdown TD arrived back in Ireland yesterday to confront the controversy with the assistance of Attorney General Máire Whelan.

He is now relying on Whelan, whose advice he disregarded when seeking a free vote on a Bill allowing for abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

It is inevitable that an independent inquiry will be established into this week’s sorry events.

Ross must ensure that all aspects of the controversy are thoroughly covered by the inquiry and that it reports back before too long.