About Sport Ireland Sport Ireland was established on October 1 st 2015 following the enactment of the Sport Ireland Act 2015. We are the statutory authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. Our remit ranges from encouraging excellence in competitive sport to facilitating increased participation in recreational sport throughout the population.
Sport Ireland s Vision Our long-standing vision for sport is one where: sport contributes to enhancing the quality of Irish life and everyone is encouraged and valued in sport young people see sport participation as an integral and enjoyable part of their busy lives individuals can develop their sporting abilities and enhance their enjoyment, limited only by their talent and commitment Irish sportsmen and women achieve consistent world-class performance, fairly
Functions of Sport Ireland Participation in Sport High Performance Sport Anti-Doping Coaching Code of Ethics Sport Ireland Institute Sport Ireland National Sports Campus
GAELIC FOOTBALL 2% HURLING/CAMOG IE 1.2%
Sport Ireland Act 2015 Sets out the functions of Sport Ireland Stipulates how Sport Ireland shall regulate its meetings, procedures and business Specifies the items which require the approval of the Minister e.g. Statements of Strategy, Developments at the National Sports Campus etc. With the approval of the Minister, the Sport Ireland Strategy outlines the key focus for the organisation over a defined period of time
Accountability Sport Ireland is accountable to the Minister and Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Sport Ireland also accounts for the performance of our functions to a Joint Committee of the Oireachtas Sport Ireland has regard to any recommendations of such Joint Committee relevant to our functions Sport Ireland is subject to a range of statutory and corporate governance obligations including the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. Sport Ireland must ensure that all necessary obligations, including those for risk management, internal audit and the Public Spending Code are fully complied with.
Oversight Agreement The Oversight Agreement exists between DTTAS & Sport Ireland. Among others, it highlights the following for Sport Ireland: Purpose and responsibility (as per the Sport Ireland Act) Targets and Outputs as per the Performance Delivery Agreement e.g. For High Performance the target is 50 medals to be achieved at international events in 2018, participation targets Arrangements for oversight, monitoring and reporting (Annual Report and Accounts, Quarterly meetings, responsibility to report to a Joint Committee of the Oireachtas etc). Ministerial consents (i.e. items that require approval of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport as defined in the Sport Ireland Act 2015).
Sport Ireland Anti-Doping Sport Ireland is designated as Ireland s National Anti-Doping Organisation. Clause 22.6 of the World Anti-Doping Code states that "Each government will respect the autonomy of a National Anti-Doping Organization in its country and not interfere in its operational decisions and activities. The Oversight Agreement between DTTAS & Sport Ireland states the following: Notwithstanding that the Minister has responsibility for the oversight of Sport Ireland, the Minister shall fully respect, defend and ensure the autonomy of Sport Ireland in accordance with clause 22.6 of the World Anti-Doping Code.
Performance Delivery Agreement An agreement between the relevant Minister/ Department and the State body under its aegis in which an agreed level of service is formalised. A performance delivery agreement comprises part of an oversight agreement. Mutual Commitments: The Agreement acknowledges the mutual relationship in terms of responsibilities and obligations between DTTAS & Sport Ireland Individual Commitments: The Agreement acknowledge the individual commitments of the Department and Sport Ireland Targets and Outputs: Helps clarify the high level goals and objectives and the key outputs expected based on an agreed input of funding
Relationship with Department Regular communication is key to providing assurances to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; effective relationship management is a critical aspect of good governance. Sport Ireland meets quarterly with Department officials to update them on key strategy areas.
The Challenge of State Agency Autonomy A balance has been sought to ensure that Sport Ireland/State bodies are subject to sufficient oversight and accountability but not at the expense of compromising our functional independence. 1. A mutual understanding of, and respect for, each organisations respective roles, responsibilities and areas of expertise. 2. Effective communication (personal relationships are important). i.e. Work on the basis of No surprises. 3. Trust. Trust is the shortcut (Paul Turpin IPA). 4. The Sport Ireland Act 2015 (i.e. governing legislation).
Relationship with State Agencies & Local Authorities Sport Ireland has a working relationship with a number of other State Agencies and Local Authorities. Funding arrangements in place with a number of Local Authorities for the purposes of administering Local Sports Partnerships MOUs with the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Medical Council of Ireland with regard to our Anti-Doping function and between the Sport Ireland Institute and the Defence Forces which provides a working framework for a relationship which is mutually beneficial.
Relationship with Funded Bodies Sport Ireland funds over 100 sporting bodies annually with total grant payments of c. 46m The Community and Voluntary Code of Governance will become a condition of funding, making it mandatory for all Sport Ireland Funded Bodies to start the process of adopting the Code in 2017 with a view to completing the journey by 2019 or 2020, depending on the size of the organisation We encourage sport organisations to take responsibility for their own governance standards and meeting the challenges that they face. We recognise their independence and the autonomy of their boards, and are cognisant of the fact that the boards are accountable to the membership of the organisation It is our view that real improvement is only achieved by funded bodies driving themselves forward
Organisational Development & Change Unit Introduced a range of training and targeted conferences to support all funded bodies to work towards the successful adoption of the Code and building organisation capacity In 2017: Ongoing usage of Expert Capability Advisory service by a range of organisations in relation to Strategic Planning and Governance matters 132 hours of executive coaching with 33 sector based employees carried out 40 organisations utilised the Employment Law/HR Support service 502 sector based employees/board members trained to date in a number of areas 40 E-learning for Good Governance licences provided to sectoral organisations
Governance Issues To address governance issues which arise in funded bodies, there are a range of avenues open to Sport Ireland. Recommendation of appointment of interim CEOs Appointment of independent Chairpersons Appointment of mediators Recommendation on appointment of external board members Appointment of independent governance experts Liaison meetings
Compliance & Supports Mid-Year Review includes updates on operational plans & compliance documents Internal Audit high level review of governance and financial administration in a selection of grantee organisations Dedicated Governance section on Sport Ireland website Better Boards, Stronger Sport toolkit Sport Ireland works in partnership with the Institute of Public Administration, hosts a number of flagship governance events specifically for Sport Ireland which we strongly encourage all funded bodies to attend
Conclusion Clear structures/processes of accountability Communication Managed relationships based on trust