The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, and the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, have announced that Mr Kieran Mulvey is to be appointed as the Chairperson of the newly-established Sport Ireland.
Sport Ireland, which is the new State Agency with responsibility for sport, arising from the merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority, came into operation with effect from 1st October 2015. The Sport Ireland Act 2015 was signed into law on 13th May.
Minister Donohoe said: ‘I have today informed the Government that I intend to appoint Mr Kieran Mulvey as Chairperson of the Board, subject to the endorsement of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. I am delighted that Kieran has agreed to serve as Chairperson of the new Board and I am sure that his experience as Chairperson of the Irish Sports Council over the last five years will be of considerable value to Sport Ireland’.
Minister Michael Ring said: ‘The establishment of Sport Ireland is a positive move for Irish sport, delivering a single well-structured agency focused on the continued development of Irish sport. I am confident that Mr Mulvey has the right skills to take the new agency forward and that he and his Board will work hard to make sure that the transition to a single Sport Ireland is a safe and smooth one. I wish the Board and the Sport Ireland management and staff well in their work for Irish sport’.
In addition to the Chairperson, 10 members who previously served on the Boards of the Council and the Authority have been appointed to the Board of Sport Ireland. They are Bernard Allen, Seán Benton, Donal Óg Cusack, Roy Dooney, Mary Dorgan, Frances Kavanagh, John Maughan, Caroline Murphy, Patrick O’Connor and Liam Sheedy.
Minister Ring said: ‘Some members of the Council and the Authority have been appointed to the new Sport Ireland Board in order to ensure some continuity on the Board. 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’.
Sport Ireland Board – Information Note
The Sport Ireland Act 2015 provides for a Board of 13 members, including a Chairperson. In addition to the 11 positions listed above, the remaining 2 positions on the Board will be filled following an advertising and selection process by the Public Appointments Service. It is expected that the selection process will be completed and the 2 Members appointed before the end of the year. To allow for the establishment of Sport Ireland on 1st October with a full Board membership, the Minister has appointed two representatives from his Department for the first meeting of the Board, who will be replaced once the PAS process is completed.
Pictured: Keiran Mulvey with OCI support staff and Gymnastics Team in Baku 2015.