Kieran Mulvey (pictured above, left) is to transfer his Chairmanship of the Irish Sports Council straight over to the new Sport Ireland which has come into effect following a merger of roles between the Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority.
He will head an initial Board of 11 individuals all of whom come from the Board of one of the two now joined bodies.
They include Sean Benton who was previously Chair of the National Sports Campus and who will be keen to see that project fully funded as it moves towards completion as one of the best integrated sporting facilities in Europe.
Chairman of the Gaelic Players Association Donal Óg Cusack, and communications consultants Roy Dooney and Caroline Murphy also step over to Sport Ireland from previous roles with the National Sports Campus board.
They will be joined by members of the Irish Sports Council Board Bernard Allen, Mary Dorgan, Frances Kavanagh, John Maughan, Patrick O’Connor and Liam Sheedy.
“Some members of the Council and the Authority have been appointed to the new Sport Ireland Board in order to ensure continuity,” said Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring.
“We are at a critical and exciting phase in the development of the National Sports Campus, with construction of the National Indoor Arena well underway.”
“Also we recognise the significant contribution that members of the Council and the Authority have made to the work of their respective agencies and the need to ensure a continuation of that work for Irish sport.”
“I believe that the experience and skills of those members will be very valuable over the next few months as we move from two agencies to one.”
Government funding for sport at National and Regional level will now be all channelled through the one body of Sport Ireland.
The annual core funding of National Governing Bodies within sport, as well as high perforce funding and capital projects including the new National Indoor Arena rising from the ground at the Campus and €285 in Capital money earmarked over the next seven years will al flow through the new Sport Ireland so the Board has a significant responsibility.
Many of the sports that benefit and indeed rely on state funding will come into the spotlight next year as the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place in Rio.
Everyone who cares for sport and the impact in can have on the health and the mood of the nation will wish the new board well as it continues its duty of care over the handling of funding to ensure that sport operates at the best level it can.
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