Cycling Ireland has expressed its regret over recent controversies that have engulfed the organisation for the past year, but which have been unfolding in the background since the summer of 2020. Its comments come after it emerged its spending on lawyers and other professional fees increased exponentially last year - to €706,129 in 2021, from €58,047 in 2020 - due to the recent debacles.
In reply to a series of questions from stickybottle about its suspension from applying for Department of Sport capital grants and the abandoned proposal to financially partner with EvoPro Racing, the governing body confirmed these matters would addressed at its AGM in Co Monaghan tomorrow - though only one such question is in the motions. Cycling Ireland also replied to questions from stickybottle about the level of annoyance among its members over hundreds of thousands of Euros now being spent on legal and other professional fees due to the fall-out from the controversies.
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"Cycling Ireland fully acknowledges and regrets the serious mistakes made in the past which were unbefitting of an organisation that receives public funds and fees from members," it said in reply to stickybottle's questions.
"Cycling Ireland is resolute in its commitment to effectively serve our members, to ensure a culture of integrity, to provide value for public funds and to adhere to robust principles of good governance. As indicated to the Oireachtas, this level of expenditure has been required to ensure the necessary foundations for the future success of Cycling Ireland, and the sport at large, are in place.
"To the greatest extent possible, resources should be directed towards getting more people on bikes, supporting our high-performance athletes and achieving the objectives set out within Cycling Ireland’s 2020-2024 strategic plan."
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The grants issue or the EvoPro Racing controversy are not mentioned in Cycling Ireland's annual report for 2022, which has been publish ahead of its AGM in the Four Seasons Hotel & Leisure Club Monaghan, Coolshannagh. However, the federation said some questions about the recent controversies would be answered at the AGM, if legally possible to provide those answers.
"A range of governance matters, including grant applications and the proposed engagement with EvoPro Racing will be addressed at the AGM by the Chairperson, CEO, Audit Finance & Risk Committee and Governance & Ethics Committee," it said in its reply.
"The Cycling Ireland CEO and members of the board have made themselves available to answer questions on both matters at a number of forums this year including the member’s consultation & review workshop, commission meetings, provincial meetings/AGMs and other forums and will continue to do so.
"Questions from the floor will be handled in accordance with the standing orders of the AGM and answered in so far as is legally permissible. The CEO and members of the Board have been available to answer questions at a number of provincial and commission AGMs and will continue to attend as many as their schedule allows."
In the summer of 2020, the Department of Sport began an inquiry after false documents were submitted by Cycling Ireland in an application for a capital grant. The documents were purporting to be quotations for goods from companies that supply Cycling Ireland but had not come from those companies and were false. The national governing body was suspended from applying for further grants for 12 months and a series of inquiry reports were commissioned, by Sport Ireland and by Cycling Ireland itself. Significant legal, consultancy and other professional fees arose during that process.
Separately, very late last year it emerged Cycling Ireland planned to fund an academy within the EvoPro Racing Irish Continental team. That plan was abandoned amid claims the board was not informed. In the weeks and months that followed, the board was reconstituted and, again, reports were commissioned and legal and other fees arose. The full costs, including those incurred in 2022, may not emerge until this time next year unless Cycling Ireland decides to inform its members of those costs much sooner in the interests of transparency.
