Sep 6, 2021
The Federation of Irish Sport is delighted to announce GRC software provider CalQRisk as its latest partner. The fully integrated end-to-end Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) management information system provider has signed a three-year deal with the Federation. The partnership is the latest in a suite of partners that offer essential services to benefit some 110 sporting associations that are represented by the Federation.
By the end of December, Government supports will only be available to those organisations who have demonstrated a commitment to good Governance, and who have acceptable processes in place. For those in sport leadership this means that implementing the Governance Code for Sport and ensuring compliance across the sector is more important than ever. The CalQRisk System is designed to simplify the process while helping an NGB/LSP achieves its governance goals. It came about through consultation with the Federation and discussions with NGB CEOs and sport practitioners. CalQRisk has a long history of developing solutions for and with businesses, charities and NFP’s in highly regulated environments, so the product draws on that deep well of understanding of the key issues.
CalQRisk represents a unique, centralised solution for organisations of all sizes. A central part of the platform is an in-depth knowledgebase of risks and associated controls that is updated every time there are changes in Best Practice, Industry Standards, Codes and Legal and Regulatory requirements. With one-time set up, the system removes much of the laborious and repetitive work which characterises current processes and systematically provides evidence of the effort. The CalQRisk approach gives organisations the peace of mind and confidence that they are meeting their requirements and stated objectives, whether organisational or regulatory.
The solution has a full suite of tailorable, exportable reports as well as interactive dashboards. Counting charities, credit unions, public sector bodies and financial services organisations among their many clients, CalQRisk have the experience and expertise to provide a one-stop solution for sporting bodies managing their governance, risk, and compliance obligations.
Commenting on the announcement, Federation of Irish Sport CEO, Mary O’Connor said “We’re delighted to have CalQRisk on board as a partner of the Federation. They are in a really exciting period of growth and development that will only benefit Federation members over the next couple of years. Their work to date has seen them revolutionise compliance management and reporting, making the arduous but essential journey to compliance much easier. The ongoing focus on governance is a positive and important development for the sector and we believe that our many members and indeed their members will find the services of CalQRisk of huge value on their compliance journeys. We look forward to working with them for the next three years”.
A key element of the partnership will be the focus on providing NGBs/LSPs with the support system to implement and manage compliance of their organisations and where applicable affiliated clubs at grassroots level.
At the partnership launch, Terry O’Brien from CalQRisk said “Engaging with the Federation of Irish Sport has been a great experience. They are committed professionals effectively representing all Irish sport on key strategic issues. We are delighted to be in partnership with them and look forward to assisting Irish sporting bodies at all levels to bring certainty, completeness and visibility to their governance, risk, and compliance efforts. Key to this aim is that compliance is lived throughout the organisation. Our software application facilitates continuous self-assessment, compliance monitoring and drives best practice at all levels of the organisation. We look forward to working with the federation and all of the NGBs and LSPs to achieve their GRC objectives.”
For any further enquiries about the services of CalQRisk Sport please contact Terry O’Brien at tobrien@calqrisk.com
www.calqrisk.com
About CalQRisk:
CalQRisk is an Irish company created to provide technology enabled integrated Governance, Risk & Compliance solutions. Through many years of continuous development and working closely with clients, CalQRisk has evolved into the complete GRC platform, whether for an SME, MNC or a sporting body. CalQRisk has won international recognition in the Global Risk Awards as well as being shortlisted for several different awards in the GRC sector. CalQRisk is led by a team of experienced professionals with over 100 years’ experience at C-Suite level. The Senior Leadership Team is backed up by a team with a wide range of skills including risk management, compliance, software implementation and software development. Our experts have also served on the committees of Irish and International standard making bodies.
Sep 6, 2021
Following a competitive process managed by Mazars, Horse Sport Ireland are very pleased to announce the appointment of Denis Duggan as their Chief Executive Officer.
A native of Tipperary, Denis Duggan currently holds the post of CEO of Macra Na Feirme and will join Horse Sport Ireland in January 2022. Denis has a prolific background in the agriculture and business sector and brings a wealth of experience with him to take up the helm at Horse Sport Ireland. Denis holds an MBA from National University Galway.
Previously, Denis worked with Shannon Development for six years, followed by the position of Senior Regional Development Executive with Enterprise Ireland encouraging and developing new agri-business start-ups. Of great interest, Denis was also involved in the Innovation Arena gaining a variety of achievements and awards across community development and science.
Denis has been instrumental in tripling the surplus of the rural youth association (Macra Na Feirme) in respect of its membership, for the first time in decades. Furthermore, Denis carries an in-depth knowledge of stakeholder relations, critical lobbying and governance expertise all balanced with astute business acumen. Denis has been noted by many as a strong professional leader which is highly desirable for Horse Sport Ireland as we move through the next phase of development and strategic implementation.
HSI Acting Chair, Mary Lambkin-Coyle said of the appointment:
“I am very pleased to welcome Denis Duggan as CEO of HSI. I believe he will bring strong leadership and commercial acumen to help us to achieve our ambitious objectives for the Sport Horse industry in the coming years as laid out in our strategic plan. In particular, we will look to Denis to deliver our centre of excellence at Greenogue and to establish it as a vibrant headquarters for the industry hosting a comprehensive programme of education and research”.
Denis Duggan said of his appointment:
“Horse Sport Ireland, with its team of staff, board of directors, and affiliates, is an incredible organisation with huge potential. The foundations are in place with the current strategic plan to embark on a period of exciting development and growth across equestrian sports and breeding. I look forward to leading the organisation on this journey as we embrace the challenges ahead and to working with all our partners and stakeholders on bringing our ambitious plans to fruition.”
HSI acting CEO, Joe Reynolds said of the appointment:
I welcome Denis Duggan to HSI. Denis is a proven manager in a streamlined membership organisation dealing with 170 clubs in rural Ireland. I look forward to working with Denis to deliver some of the exciting projects already in hand and have no doubt Denis’s background and expertise will widen the scope of our activities.
Aug 30, 2021
The Football Association of Ireland is proud to announce that players representing the Republic of Ireland Senior Men and Senior Women’s international teams will receive the same match fees on international duty with immediate effect in a ground-breaking deal for Irish sport.
The historic three-way agreement between the Men’s and Women’s squads and the FAI was brokered by FAI CEO Jonathan Hill and Ciaran Medlar, advisor to the male and female international players, alongside captains Katie McCabe
and Seamus Coleman.
Ongoing talks between all parties reached a successful conclusion ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualification games involving Stephen Kenny’s Senior Men’s side and Vera Pauw’s Senior Women’s team. The men’s squad have agreed to reduce their international fees, with the FAI matching their contribution to ensure that the Senior Women’s team match
fee is increased and all male and female players receive the same match fee from the September international window onwards. The FAI has also agreed equality of approach with the Senior Men’s and Senior Women’s squad with
regard to any future Tournament qualification.
Welcoming the announcement today, Ireland Senior Women’s Team captain Katie McCabe said: “This is a great day for Irish football. We have taken a huge step forward with this deal and have shown the world what can be achieved through unity as we offer male and female international players the same opportunities. I am very proud as Ireland captain of the work that has been put in to get us to this point, not just by the current team but by so many Irish players in the past. They are the real heroes in this story, they took a stand and they passed on the baton to the current generation. Seamus Coleman and his team-mates in the Senior Men’s squad also deserve credit for being brave enough to support us in such a progressive way on this issue. It is really appreciated. “I also want to thank Jonathan Hill and Ciaran Medlar for their roles in this agreement. The relationship between the FAI and the Senior Women’s team is stronger than I have ever known it and we look forward to continuing to work
together to make Irish football better for everyone who plays our game, regardless of their identity or background.” Senior Ireland Men’s team captain Seamus Coleman added: “On behalf of the Senior Men’s squad, I welcome this news today. We are delighted as players to do what we can to ensure that our female international players are treated equally and fairly and we remain fully committed to doing whatever we can to achieve that goal together. This deal is the right one for everyone who plays international football for Ireland, no matter which team they represent. We have been working towards this agreement for some time now with Katie, Jonathan and Ciaran and I hope this acts as an inspiration to many other nations to follow suit.”
FAI Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Hill commented: “Speaking on behalf of the Board of the FAI and myself, we are delighted to announce this historic agreement today. As we celebrate our Centenary and begin to build out the
strategic plan for a new FAI, the Board agreed unanimously that this is absolutely the right thing for us to do as an Association. This is another important milestone in the FAI’s own transformation journey and I believe this
equal pay programme shows us to be the progressive footballing nation we have always aspired to be. “It is also another step forward in our key strategic goal to grow the women’s game in Ireland in a sustainable and systematic way. For some months now, I have been working with Katie, Seamus and Ciaran on this agreement. Katie and her team-mates are role models to all the young girls playing football in Ireland whilst the actions of Seamus and his fellow players in our Senior Men’s squad
to make this equal pay proposition possible should not be underestimated. “When the proposal was first discussed, the Board was also united in its commitment to support the approach which we firmly believe is the right way forward for a modern, progressive and inclusive sports organisation. Our women footballers have worked tirelessly to get to this point and I am
delighted to see their ambitions for equality come to fruition with today’s announcement, one which all involved with Irish sport should celebrate. We now wish Vera, Katie and the whole team the very best for their upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification campaign.”
To see FAI TV interviews on this announcement see links:
Katie McCabe – https://youtu.be/39fQegTGLng
Seamus Coleman – https://youtu.be/89EESgJls1s
Jonathan Hill – https://youtu.be/xKkBlEvlqLU
Aug 30, 2021
Alliance welcomes establishment of Garda insurance fraud office
Calls on insurers to step up anti-fraud capacity
The Alliance for Insurance Reform has warmly welcomed the establishment of an Insurance Fraud Coordination Office (IFCO) under the control of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) to help combat fraudulent and exaggerated insurance claims.
Eoin McCambridge, Managing Director of McCambridge’s of Galway and director of the Alliance said “The Alliance has been campaigning for the establishment of a Garda insurance fraud unit from Day One and we warmly welcome today’s news. It marks a major step in the battle against insurance fraud, formalising as it does a structured and streamlined approach by the Gardaí. It will act as a significant deterrent to anyone considering making a fictitious or exaggerated claim.”
Peter Boland, Director of the Alliance said “The establishment of IFCO is the first step in the eradication of the scourge of insurance fraud. There are two more significant steps required to make sure this initiative works.
“Firstly, insurers must take fraud seriously, by stepping up their anti-fraud capacity through ‘The recruitment of suitably trained personnel and the development of various technological means of combating fraud’ as recommended by the Personal Injuries Commission chaired by Justice Nicholas Kearns. The days of settling fraudulent claims as an expedient and then passing the cost of this approach on to society must end.
“Secondly, we call on the Garda Commissioner to urgently establish Divisional structures to counter fraud. This initiative was announced by An Garda Siochana in 2019 but nothing has happened on it since.”
Jul 29, 2021
Laois Sports Partnership hosts very successful Kayak Level 2 Skills Award for visually impaired
The Kayak Level 2 Skills Award course recently run by Laois Sports Partnership in conjunction with SVT Canoeing & Kayaking club for NCBI members in Laois was a new venture for all involved.
It was the first time that a group with visual impairments has taken part in this type of training in Laois.
The final day finished with assessment taken by the wonderful tutor Matt McGrath.
Laois Sports Partnership expressed a big thank you to Vision Sports for their support of the event.
“This is the first time that this was done in Laois. To bring a group of kids with visual impairment out on the water for the first time was just an unreal experience,” one of the tutors involved in the programme said.
At the end of the course, the participants had to demonstrate safety skills and techniques to achieve their Kayak Level 2 Skills Award.
But more importantly, the event was a very enjoyable and empowering one for all involved.
Jul 29, 2021
A busy few months for Irish Wheelchair Association Sport as clubs and athletes returned to activity across the country.
Following the start of the country’s re-opening, our clubs got back training together where the focus was on fun and socialising once again. One third of our clubs have returned to date with many more waiting on the return to indoor sport.
Last month, in partnership with Mayo Sports Partnership, we organised a ‘Come & Try’ event in Castlebar which was great success. Those who attended got to experience Para Athletics and Wheelchair Basketball, among other games and activities. Massive thank you to the Mayo Sports Partnership for organising the event and for the parents, coaches and athletes who attended on the evening. The aim now is to build on momentum and interest to establish a full-time multi-sport junior club for children with physical disabilities in partnership with Mayo LSP while also getting them involved in future IWA-Sports.
Our summer camp season began at the beginning of July with our annual members camp which was a massive success. The camp was ran in collaboration with SIDOS Lisa & Nuala from Dublin City Sport & Wellbeing partnership. Participants enjoyed Seated Volleyball, Wheelchair Hurling, Boccia, Orienteering, Wheelchair Tennis-Enjoy Tennis, Boxing with Dublin City Sport & Wellbeing Partnership, Yoga & mediation, Wheelchair Basketball, and our very own Ciara Staunton delivered a fantastic Wheelchair Rugby session. Huge thanks to the many staff from the aforementioned NGBS who supported the delivery of many of the activities. The summer camp fun has continued outdoors for our local community in St Anne’s Park where we continue to showcase our many para sports.
On July 25th, our first competition since March 2020 took place with the beginning of the Para Athletics Grand Prix and the first event, the Jamie Boyle Games, taking place in Templemore AC. A very excited group took part in their first event in over 18months much to everyone’s delighted at the venue. A number of other Para Athletic events are due to take place in the coming weeks with competitions running to September.
We continue to enjoy our collaboration with Basketball Ireland over the summer months, where Wheelchair Basketball features as part of the outdoor 3×3 tournaments at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. This has been a fantastic success in terms of the outdoor option provided and raising the profile of 3X3 Wheelchair Basketball.
Lastly the very best of luck to the many IWA-Sport athletes on the Irish Paralympic Team competing in Tokyo 2020.
