The controversy over the
use of false quotations by Cycling Ireland when applying for Department of
Sport grants in 2020 has now led to a worsening situation within the board of the
organisation.
Three board members wrote to Sport Ireland on Wednesday, confirming they were resigning. News of their resignations first emerged on stickybottle last evening.
However, while their
resignations followed a call by Cycling Ireland president Liam Collins for them,
and others, to step down from the board to strengthen governance, the board
members made it clear they do not agree with that position.
Informed sources told
stickybottle they were not resigning because of the false quotations issue,
adding their departures related to a different, newer, issue within the
organisation.
In reply to queries from
stickybottle, Sport Ireland said it was concerned about the recent developments
in Cycling Ireland.
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“Sport Ireland is aware that issues exist at board level
within Cycling Ireland. On foot of the statements over the weekend Sport
Ireland contacted Cycling Ireland seeking clarification of the events of the
past few days,” it said.
“Sport Ireland received correspondence from Cycling
Ireland yesterday (Wednesday). The letter explains that the current dispute
arises from a new issue that the board is working to resolve. Furthermore, the
letter restates Cycling Ireland’s commitment to implementing the
recommendations of the KOSI report; that is helpful information. However, as
three independent board members have tendered their resignations, this
indicates the board is not united in its views.
“Sport Ireland remains available to work with Cycling
Ireland to resolve outstanding issues but there can be no doubt that there are
real ongoing concerns about how issues within the NGB are unfolding.”
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In their resignation letter to Sport Ireland, the three resigning board members said the statement last Saturday night during which Collins called for the resignations came as a surprise to the board. They added he had not proposed their resignations at any board meeting and they did not agree their departures would strengthen governance.
Indeed, they believed
the statement last week calling for them to resign, and now their resignations,
was a distraction from the governance-related work they were undertaking in the
wake of the false quotations controversy, which dates back to the summer of
2020.
One of the board members
to resign, Marcus Dowling, was appointed last December. A Dublin-based
barrister and a keen cyclist, he had taken on the chairmanship of Cycling Ireland’s governance committee as a
senior counsel his appointment was seen as a coup for the organisation.
Another of the
resigning members, Emma Hunt Duffy, was only appointed last month. She has an
impressive background in public relations in the corporate sector and had
effectively no even begun her role in Cycling Ireland in any real sense, having
not had a chance yet to attend a board meeting.
The third
resigning member, Brendan Tallon, has been a member of the board for almost
five years and was also vice president of Cycling Ireland. Added to the three
members who are resigning – effective from next week - Noel Mulroy resigned from his position on the board
last Friday.
Last Saturday night
Collins released a statement, via the Cycling Ireland website, to members
explaining he would be stepping down from his role before next November’s AGM.
He encouraged the elected members of the board to do the same and called on the
appointed members to also resign; which they have now, though over another
issue.
Collins said he believed
if the board stepped back that would allow Cycling Ireland chief executive Matt
McKerrow and his team to run the organisation – and implement reforms in the
wake of the false quotations controversy – under the supervision of Sport
Ireland.
He said anyone who
stepped back from the board now or before the AGM could put themselves forward for
election again at that AGM in November, by which time he felt the issues
confronting the organisation would have run its course.
On Sunday night the board issued a statement saying Collins had released his statement 24 hours earlier of his own volition. It re-committed the board to working for Irish cycling and said at a board meeting earlier than day a decision had been taken to call an EGM at which a presentation would be made to members about the false quotations issue and the steps being taken to reform.
