Several senior figures in the equestrian industry have called for the chairman of the board of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) to step down, following major governance turmoil at the organisation.
The majority of the board of HSI has resigned in the last ten days, following a split over support for its chief executive, Denis Duggan.
Six of the eight members of the organisation’s board have resigned since the start of this month. Four of the six directors who stepped down, including former TD Lucinda Creighton, did so due to a lack of support for the current management of the part State-funded body.
The Naas-based organisation has been left with just two remaining directors, chair of the board Joe Reynolds and Edward Doyle.
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In a letter to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on Tuesday night, senior figures in Dressage Ireland, the Irish Horse Board, and Showjumping Ireland called for Mr Reynolds to step down.
HSI, the national governing body for horse sports, had seen the “loss of talented staff” in recent years, as well as lacking financial accountability and transparency, it said.
The letter criticised what it said was a “lack of engagement with stakeholders”, and mounting legal costs, among other issues.
The statement was signed by Tiernan Gill, chair of the Irish Horse Board, Marguerite McSweeney, chair of Dressage Ireland, Ronan Corrigan, chair of Showjumping Ireland’s finance committee.
Other signatories included Hugh McKusker, chair of Northern Ireland Horse Board and Chris Byrne of the Equestrian Competition Venues Owners Alliance.
The letter called for the Minister to consider using powers he had to remove the chairman from his role, if he did not step down.
Mr Reynolds, the chairman, did not respond to requests for comment on his position. Mr Duggan, the chief executive, declined to comment on the letter.
One source in HSI said “deep divisions” had arisen on its board this year, with directors split on a range of key issues.
“Certain individuals and groups have chosen to align themselves with one particular side within that split and these comments should be viewed in that context,” the source said.
They added it was “regrettable” that amid those divisions the chair had become “a target of increasingly personalised and unfounded comments that do little to heal divisions”.
Robert Fagan, manager of Mullingar Equestrian, which runs an international horse show, said problems at the top of the organisation had been “allowed to fester” in recent years.
The organisation had made “bad business decisions” and some directors had been “stymied” in raising concerns, he told The Irish Times. People working in the industry were disappointed and frustrated at the recent controversy, he said.
Mr Fagan also signed the letter calling for Mr Reynolds to resign from the board, in order to give the organisation “a clean slate” to address current problems.
Mr McConalogue, who appoints several HSI board members, had to step up and “put in the right people” to address the current problems, he said.
Politicians are now considering calling the organisation to appear before the Oireachtas agriculture committee to answer questions about its governance.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy, a member of the committee, on Tuesday wrote to other TDs and Senators proposing both HSI and officials from the Department of Agriculture be invited to a public hearing.
The governing body received more than €5 million in public funding from the department this year, as well as more than €2 million from Sport Ireland.
Mr Carthy said there was now a “cloud hanging over” HSI, which needed to be addressed quickly.
Mr Carthy said as the recent board resignations had “the potential to undermine public confidence” in the horse sport sector, he had proposed the committee hearing take place as soon as practically possible.
Sport Ireland, another funder, said it was in “regular dialogue” with HSI and the department on the matter. “We will continue work with all stakeholders to find a solution to the current situation,” a spokesman said.
