O’Donoghue rules out sports grant watchdog

SPORTS MINISTER John O’Donoghue has no plans to establish an independent body to monitor grant aid to sporting organisations.

Mr O’Donoghue used his ministerial discretion to justify the waiving of the rules to grant €300,000 to Killorglin Rowing Club, as highlighted in a recent Irish Examiner exposé.

“The current arrangements for administering the scheme, which have been applied by successive Governments over many years, have been extremely successful in ensuring the programme is responsive to local needs,” he told the Dáil yesterday.