Basketball Ireland screws us again

buyer95

"Legacy Issue"


It has today come to light that BI, our governing body who have been unable to field a senior team since 09, misappropriated state funding and have been fined €124,000. In addition, the association will not be permitted to apply for any capital funding for the next five years. The worst part of this, however is that the provisional grant for the improvement to the Tallaght arena will now be withheld indefinitely, at a time when the home of Irish basketball is badly in need of a facelift.

The sanctions follow an audit which found a “serious error” in the use of capital funding provided to Basketball Ireland for its Community Hoops programme. Apparently, the money was spent on " development programmes ," rather than on the purchase of basketball rings, which were to be put up around the country.

BI chairman Paul Meany said: "Most of the money was spent on development programmes. . . the then-management were under the impression this was acceptable." What a joke.

BI actually got off lightly, due to the perilous financial situation they are in currently, ie their broke. The chairman ackowledged this. "The Board notes that the monetary sanction could have been much bigger and that the capital programme ban could have been for much longer. "

I understand that BI, has been trying to get its act together, and replaced the cronies from the old regime, but this is another blow to an organisation in serious financial difficulty... Where there going to come up with the money is anyone's guess, but it will hamper any hope of an Irish senior mens or womens team in the short team.


Another blow to hoop heads...:mad:


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/basketball-body-ordered-to-repay-124k-of-state-aid-29162038.html

moneyman

What's new? BI has always been an absolute joke. Not surprised in the least.

ButtersSuki

Another fine mess.

ButtersSuki

€1.24m on hoops? Where were they planning to buy these? I hope that's a general term meant for facilities rather than simply posts and rings.

I think one of the personnel involved is now CEO of one of the League of Ireland soccer teams. Disaster waiting to happen.

Bob the Seducer

I've always wondered (admittedly in a sort of pie in the sky way) if there was any sort of a mechanism for people invested in basketball in this country and concerned by it's present state to organise and challenge BI's position as the official governing body...

flutered

a few years back they brought a fitness expert in from oz, at the the time i was heavily involved in basketball, yet i only came across him once, then he was an hour late, just another facepalm.

WHIP IT!

Lads, it's quite obvious the money is going somewhere and not, necessarily, to basketball-related pursuits... someone's pockets are being lined... wherever there is access to, essentially, 'free' money, there'll be people looking to get a piece of it for themselves... hell, it's what built - and brought down - the so-called Celtic Tiger!

buyer95

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

I've always wondered (admittedly in a sort of pie in the sky way) if there was any sort of a mechanism for people invested in basketball in this country and concerned by it's present state to organise and challenge BI's position as the official governing body...

I declare a riot:D

Not really though, BI have always been a terribly run organisation, there was a time when basketball was a much bigger sport in Ireland than rugby. BI never capitalised on this, the 1 American rule basically killed the Superleague:mad: