The Show Jumping Association of Ireland executive has finally released the findings from its internal inquiry into a breach of employment legislation that last week resulted in the resignation of two SJAI employees.

Following a two-day inquiry and a series of high-powered meetings, the SJAI executive confirmed in the early hours of yesterday morning that the breach had involved "gross payment without tax deductions".

The payments were made to former SJAI vice-chairman Gerry Thompson, who was immediately suspended from his temporary employment at the association's Dublin headquarters when the matter was brought to the attention of the executive last month.

Details of the breach of the employment laws, which only came to light last month, were released in a document signed by SJAI national chairman Tony Hurley after a marathon executive session on Thursday night.

According to the document, former director general Tony Kelly and Gerry Thompson "appear" to have agreed the terms of employment between themselves in July of last year.

The breach was unearthed last year by the now disbanded three-man finance and management committee, but details of the findings were not immediately revealed to the executive due to the "sensitivity" of the case.

SJAI accountant Mairead Divilly was informed of the irregularity in a report sent to her in early January by the finance and management committee. She passed on the information to the full executive 10 days later and was then asked to head up a panel of inquiry.

Tony Kelly, Gerry Thompson and other SJAI employees were interviewed during the investigation, after which a recommendation was put to the association executive calling for the immediate dismissal of "the parties directly involved in the arrangement".

The recommendation was approved at an executive meeting on the night of January 28th, but Tony Kelly - who had been asked to stand down during the investigation - resigned on health grounds the following Monday before it could be implemented.

Gerry Thompson, who had been brought into the offices on a temporary basis without agreement from the executive, also handed in his resignation last week. The executive agreed "for compassionate reasons" to accept both resignations.

During more than seven hours of meetings on Thursday night, the executive also approved a series of responses to four questions put to the SJAI at a meeting of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland's board of directors a fortnight ago.

The EFI lifted its threat of suspending the SJAI from federation membership at that meeting, subject to satisfactory answers being produced to questions centred mainly around the association's failure to appoint a full-time business and financial director.

A two-page letter addressing all four of the federation questions was faxed into the EFI offices yesterday morning. Federation secretary general Ned Campion confirmed its arrival inside the two-week deadline and stated that it will now be circulated to all eight of the federation executive. A response is expected before the end of next week.