THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Michael Creed TD, in consultation with the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, this week invited expressions of interests for the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) chairperson role, as well as three ordinary board members, to take effect from July.

The long awaited and widely welcomed announcement from the government comes 11 months after the Indecon Report, titled ‘Review of Certain Matters relating to Horse Sport Ireland’, was submitted to the DAFM. While the ministers have always nominated the chairperson, this is the first time the position has been advertised.

Co Cork’s Jim Beecher has held the interim chairman role since February 2017 when taking over from Professor Pat Wall after his four year term came to an end.

The Indecon report recommended a simplified board structure be implemented with a small board of directors and three consultative advisory councils, as well as a reduction in the size from 19 to just nine.

The report read: “This would comprise of an independent chair and eight external directors. This would enable a focused board more aligned with best practice and would constitute a strategic corporate decision-making board. This would also enable the board to deal effectively and timely with substantive issues and to develop plans to secure commercial opportunities and expand the sector.”

Indecon also recommended that four independent directors be appointed by the Ministers. Yesterday’s vacancy, which was posted on Stateboards.ie, looks for three ordinary members (directors).

Minister Creed has made it clear to this publication in the past that the report must be implemented if HSI is to receive extra funding in the coming budgets.

Creed allocated an increase of 25% (€500,000) to the governing body in Budget 2018, bringing the contribution from DAFM to €2.5 million. Sport Ireland provided €1.28 million, the same as 2017 (€755,000 to HSI and €530,000 to the High Performance programme).

The necessary skills lists on the vacancy for the chairman include ‘previous experience of board membership and ideally of chairing a board’. The page clearly states that the appointment is to be made by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine and the closing date for submission of expressions of interest is Thursday, May 31st. The appointed persons will take their places on the board of HSI in July.

INDECON RECOMMENDATIONS

Below are a summary of certain recommendations made in relation to the structure of the board of Horse Sport Ireland, which appeared in Table 6.2 of the Indecon report.

  • A simplified structure for HSI should be implemented with a small board of directors and three consultative advisory councils - covering the breeding and production, sports and leisure areas. Each of the advisory councils should elect a chairman who would also serve on the main board of the HSI.
  • Directors to the HSI board should be appointed for a five-year period with a maximum of two terms.
  • The size of the HSI board should be reduced from 19 to 9 to comprise of an independent chair and external directors.
  • The chair to be appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine in consultation with the Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport.
  • Four independent directors as well as the chair to be appointed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine in consultation with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
  • The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in consultation with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport should also appoint a representative of the Northern Ireland sector.
  • The skills for the chair and the independent directors to be identified in advance.