Part 6 — Sport Governance: A System Built on Trust

Image: Sport Ireland logo (source: official media)

What does it say about Ireland’s sport governance system when a national sports body can repeatedly breach its own constitution—even under Sport Ireland’s oversight—yet face no consequences and continue receiving public funding?

The following two articles in this series examine the case of Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI), a state-funded governing body legally required to comply with its constitution, Irish company law, and Sport Ireland’s Governance Code.

Although governance failures were formally acknowledged, Sport Ireland continued financial support—quietly shifting OHI’s status from “compliant” to “on the adoption journey” without any public explanation or statement. In contrast, other NGBs with governance issues have had their audits publicly confirmed, along with announced steps toward reform. This lack of comparable disclosure in the OHI case raises serious questions about Sport Ireland’s consistency and transparency.

By tracing how these issues unfolded—and why enforcement has remained weak and largely invisible—this series explores what the OHI case reveals about deeper flaws in Ireland’s sport governance model, particularly in light of the actions taken by OHI after Sport Ireland formally acknowledged the issues. It also asks whether current accountability structures are truly equipped to protect trust, integrity, and fair development across the sporting landscape.

Governance Responsibilities in Irish Sport

Understanding how such breaches were possible requires a closer look at the governance framework that oversees publicly funded sports bodies like OHI.

Sport Ireland is the national agency responsible for the development, funding, and oversight of sport in Ireland. One of its core duties includes promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability within National Governing Bodies (NGBs) through mechanisms like the Governance Code for Sport.

This governance framework is reinforced through regular compliance checks and close collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. 

In practice, this system relies on tools such as the Board Assurance Statement and the Public Compliance Declaration, both submitted annually by NGBs. Sport Ireland reviews these submissions but typically conducts deeper checks only when concerns are explicitly raised. This principles-based approach places a high level of trust in each organisation’s commitment to ethical leadership and self-regulation.

Furthermore, ethical behaviour, inclusivity, and accountability underpin Sport Ireland’s goals. As noted by Ministerial officials, "values such as ethical behaviour and inclusivity are integral to all of the work that they do."

The role of the Minister for Sport and their Department is also central to the governance and development of sport in Ireland. As stated in official correspondence, “the Minister and their Departmental officials work very closely with Sport Ireland on all matters related to the development of Sport in Ireland,” ensuring national policy aligns with Sport Ireland’s implementation on the ground. This close cooperation also includes the development of Sport Ireland policies, which are shaped in consultation with the Department and other relevant government bodies.

Legal and Oversight Obligations of Sport Ireland and OHI

Good governance is a standard that all publicly funded National Governing Bodies (NGBs) are expected to uphold. While the Governance Code for Sport is not legally binding in itself, adherence to its principles is effectively mandatory—both as a condition of receiving public funding from Sport Ireland and as a means of maintaining public trust. Furthermore, since most NGBs are incorporated as companies limited by guarantee, they are also legally required to comply with company law, which reinforces obligations around accountability, transparency, and effective governance.

This alignment between legal obligations and good governance practices is clearly outlined in the Code itself. Under Principle 2.1: Exercising Control Over Our Organisation, organisations are required to:

“Identifying and complying with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements.”

In addition to meeting these external obligations, organisations must also comply with the rules set out in their own governing documents. For OHI, this means that adherence to its Constitution is not only a governance expectation—it is also a legal duty under its status as a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG).  Failure to comply with these constitutional provisions not only breaches the Governance Code but also raises concerns under the Companies Act 2014—underscoring that good governance is both a legal obligation and an ethical responsibility.

To make this legal dimension more explicit, OHI’s own Constitution affirms that its provisions are not merely internal guidelines but carry enforceable legal standing. Article 12.2 states:

“These Articles shall in all respects be governed by and construed in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Ireland and any dispute arising thereunder shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of Ireland.”

Sport Ireland’s Role in Overseeing Governance

While the Code itself does not carry the force of law, Sport Ireland plays a pivotal oversight role—including responsibilities that extend across multiple governance frameworks:

• Annual Compliance Reviews: Each NGB is required to submit a self-assessed Board Assurance Statement, declaring its alignment with the Governance Code. Sport Ireland reviews these submissions on paper, but does not independently verify their accuracy unless concerns are raised.

  
  

• Public Compliance Register: Organisations that self-declare compliance by submitting a Board Assurance Statement are listed on Sport Ireland’s public Register of Compliant Bodies. While based on self-assessment, this public listing introduces a degree of transparency and accountability by making each organisation’s governance status visible to stakeholders and subject to public scrutiny. As a result, organisations may remain listed as “compliant” on paper, even if underlying issues of transparency, representation, or constitutional breaches exist. 

  
  

• Risk‑Based Follow‑Up Reviews: If governance issues are flagged or concerns emerge, Sport Ireland may initiate targeted governance reviews or request additional documentation. While these are not labelled formal audits, they serve a similar function.

  
  

• Engagement and Guidance: Through its Gov‑Enhance programme, workshops, governance networks, and resources, Sport Ireland offers support while also maintaining communication with funded bodies.

  
  

• Funding Enforcement: Adherence to the Code is expressly tied to grant conditions. Non‑compliance may lead to adjustment, suspension, or withdrawal of funding under grant agreements.

  
  

Despite the multiple oversight tools in place, the layered system failed to prevent OHI from repeatedly breaching its constitution or introducing meaningful structural changes—even after governance issues were publicly raised.

Other Oversight and Enforcement Actors in Irish Sport

While Sport Ireland plays a central role in overseeing adherence to the Governance Code for Sport, it is not the sole body responsible for governance oversight. A range of additional mechanisms and institutions exist to help ensure accountability—particularly for publicly funded sports organisations like OHI that operate as Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLGs).

Companies registration Office (CRO)

The CRO enforces the Companies Act 2014 and can act if a CLG fails to comply with core legal duties—such following its own constitution. The CRO can impose sanctions, including involuntary strike-off or legal proceedings.

Independent Audits and Reviews

Sport organisations may also be subject to external governance reviews or audits. These reviews are typically conducted when:

• Governance concerns are raised by stakeholders or Sport Ireland,

• Organisations fail to meet reporting standards,

• Or irregularities are found in the Board Assurance Statement process.

  
  

These audits may be commissioned internally (via independent consultants) or externally by Sport Ireland’s appointed auditors, currently KOSI Corporation.

In addition, the OHI Constitution outlines a formal dispute resolution route through Just Sport Ireland—now operating as Sport Dispute Solutions Ireland—an independent body that provides mediation and arbitration services for Irish sport. This means unresolved governance issues may not only fall under Sport Ireland’s oversight but can also be subject to legally binding arbitration, reinforcing that compliance is enforceable through recognised legal mechanisms.

The case of OHI illustrates how this oversight system functions in practice—but also where it may fall short.

In 2024, OHI commissioned an independent consultant to assess its governance structures. The review found that several key practices were not yet fully embedded. Sport Ireland then commissioned its audit partner, KOSI, to conduct a follow-up review.

In official correspondence from April 2025, Sean McDermott, Governance Executive at Sport Ireland, summarised the outcome—referring to OHI by its former name, IOHA—as follows:

“In 2024, the Irish Olympic Handball Association (IOHA) engaged an independent consultant to assess its compliance with the Governance Code for Sport. The review identified several areas where practices were not yet fully embedded and issued a number of recommendations, which the IOHA is actively working to implement.

Sport Ireland’s auditors, KOSI, also conducted a review and found the report to be comprehensive, with some additional findings noted. Following consideration of the KOSI review by the Sport Ireland Audit & Risk Committee, the IOHA was removed from the Register of Compliant Organisations and is currently on the Adoption Journey, as can be seen on our Register of Organisations.

Sport Ireland continues to engage with the IOHA through a governance liaison process and will support the organisation in progressing its compliance efforts.”

Despite Sport Ireland’s involvement, governance issues at OHI continued—not only those raised in May 2024 but also new breaches during the audit period—calling into question the claim that OHI is actively implementing reforms. This ongoing pattern raises doubts about the effectiveness of Sport Ireland’s liaison process and its ability to ensure genuine corrective action.

In the next part, we explore what happened after Sport Ireland was formally notified of governance issues at OHI—how those concerns evolved, what visible actions were (or weren’t) taken, and why this case may represent more than just an isolated failure. It may point to a deeper, systemic problem in the way sport is governed in Ireland.