CHAOTIC, dramatic, traumatic and extremely costly.”

Those were the words new Olympic Council of Ireland president, Sarah Keane, used to describe the Rio ticketing scandal and the arrest and detention in a Rio jail of her predecessor in the top job Mr Pat Hickey.

It echoes of the Conor Cruise O’Brien-coined “GUBU” phrase of the Malcolm MacArthur/Patrick Connolly revelations in 1982 which then Taoiseach Charlie Haughey famously described as “grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented.”

For his part, Hickey (71), home since December after a conditional bond of €410,000 was posted, denies any wrongdoing or involvement in the alleged ticket-touting scandal.

It’s emerged that this debacle has so far cost the Olympic Council of Ireland some €1.5m and the full costs may yet well rise considerably further still.

The entire extroardinary episode, which grabbed adverse headlines for Ireland all around the world, has so far resulted in losses of €800,000 for the organisation.

The scale of the damage to their coffers was revealed at the media announcement by the OCI this week, ahead of its upcoming annual general meeting.

At the very time when the growing complex area of sports science is really taking off and Ireland’s sportspeople – from equestrian to sailors – are steadily rising through the ranks through hard work and dedication, the OCI had to splash out €1.04m on legal fees for up to 15 sets of lawyers in both Ireland and Rio. A further €232,000 was spent on two reports probing the OCI’s governance.

A loss of €826,180 was posted by the organisation for 2016 and its reserves are keeping it going although there is a chance of recouping some of the costs paid via insurance.

Other costs included €84,000 in public relation fees; €70,000 on data protection, consultancy and IT and €31,000 on accommodation and travel.

“It was a criminal matter and it was significant for everyone involved with board members stuck out in Rio with no passport and they are entitled to get advice and support around that. It is quite complex, it is a lot of money, and it’s not done.

“But people are entitled to be represented. This is very serious obviously with criminal charges against a certain individual and very difficult and traumatic for others. It is what it is, and there’s going to be more,” Keane is reported as saying.

The OCI is trying hard to get its house in order after an upheaval of gigantic proportions.

Let’s hope they get back on track as soon as possible.

Our talented athletes deserve nothing less.