Cycling Ireland update on Sport Ireland 2021 KOSI Audit Report
13 July 2022: Today, Cycling Ireland will appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media to provide an update on its reform progress and related matters.
Cycling Ireland is pleased to provide a positive update on the actions undertaken regarding the 2021 KOSI Audit Report’s recommendations. Having invested significant time, energy and resources, 14 of the 17 actions are now implemented and the remaining three are on target to be completed by September 2022.
The recommendations relate to reforms in the areas of culture and integrity; grant processes; procurement; external review; investigations; separation of duties; finance function review; organisational review; internal audit; and IPA and Pulse Audit recommendations.
Based on the progress made to date, Sport Ireland has released 50% of Cycling Ireland’s 2022 core funding, with 25% being withheld until further recommendations are completed. Aligned to previous years, the remaining 25% is anticipated to be released following an AGM in November.
Some of the key measures which have been taken include the following:
• The appointment of professional services firm, BDO, which will act as an external reviewer of all funding applications for the next 12 months.
• Within its contracted services, BDO is also near to completing works regarding the Sport NI Sport Sustainability Grant. A working session with those involved in the grant application has been undertaken and a workshop for all staff, board and volunteers who will be involved in all future grant funding applications will soon be scheduled.
• Cycling Ireland will soon launch a protected disclosures portal which will allow for reporting of significant issues in an anonymised and sensitive manner.
• Four new sub-committees of the Board have been established in the areas of Audit, Finance & Risk; Governance & Ethics; High Performance; and People & Culture. Each is meeting regularly and undertaking their respective workstreams.
Cycling Ireland would also like to thank its membership for responding and taking part in the ongoing consultation process – one aspect of a root and branch review or the organisation and its structures. Engagement to date has been very constructive and will enable the necessary reforms to create a more efficient and effective organisation which will better serve our diverse and expanding membership.
Collectively these actions will deliver an organisation which is fit for purpose and one which can achieve our collective ambitions for cycling in Ireland.
Cycling Ireland Opening Statement to the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts Sport and Media - Read Here
2021 Sport Ireland KOSI Audit Report - Read Here
2021 Sport Ireland KOSI Audit Report background
In 2020, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media queried and subsequently investigated a concern relating to a capital grant application by Cycling Ireland. As a result, two grants were withdrawn by the Department, and capital grant funding was deemed unavailable to Cycling Ireland for a 12-month period. This was restored in October 2021, with Cycling Ireland being fully eligible for capital grant funding since then.
In parallel, Cycling Ireland was the subject of an independent audit commissioned by Sport Ireland into the organisation’s governance structures and processes - the KOSI Audit report. The report was released in October 2021 and detailed 17 recommendations to be adopted.