The chairperson of the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, Alan Kelly TD, has outlined what he called "unprecedented" communication from representatives of Rowing Ireland before an Oireachtas hearing today.
Mr Kelly firstly outlined a number of communications yesterday via Rowing Ireland's solicitor with queries around the process of the hearing, which the committee responded to.
Deputy Kelly stated: "I have been around these houses a long time and I've never had so many issues come up before a meeting.
"The last few weeks in relation to this topic have been extraordinary, not just for me, but for a huge amount of committee members.
"There has been a huge amount of correspondence, unsolicited and all of that."
In relation to the questions from the solicitor, the Labour deputy added: "We often get queries but we rarely ever get them 24 hours before the meeting in such a manner to be honest. We spent a bit of time and responded yesterday evening as a committee."
He said the committee then received an e-mail this morning from the solicitor representing Rowing Ireland to say that the chief executive officer Michelle Carpenter would not be in attendance today.
Deputy Kelly has said the committee responded to the e-mail saying it was disappointing. He also stated that it was "in my view unprecedented at the very last minute".
He added the clerk of the committee then received a phone call at approximately 10.12am today from the CEO "which we will not be going into".
He added after there was an e-mail to the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the committee from the CEO at 10.25am which they will also not be discussing.
The committee's vice-chairperson, Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn, said she had received texts and calls from the CEO last night which she said was "seeking what I can only describe as my confidence and support in relation to the hearing".
Senator Ní Chuilinn said she felt any interaction with her would be inappropriate.
The hearing was called after a series of Sunday Independent articles on the athlete welfare within Rowing Ireland's high performance unit in the lead-up to the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.
The chairperson of Rowing Ireland, Barry McWilliams, apologised that Carpenter was not in attendance, saying she was unwell.
In his opening statement to the committee, McWilliams said that it was not acceptable that any athlete had negative experiences in its high performance unit.
Former members of the unit, Olympians Monika Dukarska and Sanita Puspure, outlined their experiences in a private session of the committee last week.
Deputy Peter Cleere asked Rowing Ireland if it would apologise to the athletes.
McWiliams said: "We regret that those situations arose and we do not want that to happen."
When pressed again Mr McWilliams said: "I don't wish to frustrate you by repeating the same answer as I've just given."
When asked if Sport Ireland would apologise, CEO Dr Una May stated: "Well, we have acknowledged with regret the experiences felt by these individual athletes and we are sorry from our point of view about the delays that took place.
"That's really the extent of what Sport Ireland has the authority over and ability to actually take responsibility for."
Last week, in a private session, psychologist Dr Paul Gaffney told the committee that in 2024 he was treating 12 current and former athletes from the sport's high-performance programme.
Meanwhile, Sport Ireland said it did reach the point in July 2024 where funding to Rowing Ireland was stopped because of concerns within the body.
Rowing Ireland receives €1.4m in funding annually for its high performances and €400,000 in core funding.
Rowing Ireland subsequently conducted an independent review with any resulting actions a matter for its board.
The chairman McWilliams said "the board was keen to initiate a new era for Rowing Ireland."
He added: "By first securing the welfare and wellbeing of the athlete, we will build a lasting, durable foundation on which the conditions for future success can reliably rest."
This afternoon the government said an independent review of the response to the matters "could be helpful".
The statement, issued of behalf of Minister for Sport Patrick O'Donovan TD and Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue TD, said "lessons could be applied more generally across sport".
It read: "Safeguarding of athletes at all levels of sport is a shared responsibility and it is clear that there are lessons to be learned from the issues that have arisen in Rowing Ireland’s handling of the process. These lessons could be applied more generally across sport.
"While we look forward to the Oireachtas Committee’s report on this matter, the Ministers are of the view that an independent review of the process, procedures and timelines relating to the rowing issues discussed could be helpful. Such a review could also consider how the Irish sports system response to issues such as this can be strengthened."
Minister O'Donovan and McConalogue have asked the department to develop terms of reference for a review and to begin the process "in a timely manner".
They added: "Recommendations arising from this review could then be actioned and embedded in Ireland’s overall sports governance and administration framework, including in the context of the next 10-year National Sports Policy which is currently commencing development."
Reporting by Clare MacNamara and Rory Houston
