Bennett appointed to conduct Rowing Ireland review

An independent review into the organizational culture of Rowing Ireland's High-Performance programme will be spearheaded by Amanda Bennett, a sports governance consultant. The government confirmed the appointment on Monday, following an agreement reached in January during an Oireachtas hearing.

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I want to acknowledge the experiences shared by some athletes in the Rowing Ireland High-Performance Programme and commend their courage in coming forward.

The Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport initiated the review into athlete welfare and governance best practices. This action stemmed from a series of articles published by the Sunday Independent detailing concerns about athlete welfare within the training unit leading up to the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games. Former unit members and Olympians Monika Dukarska and Sanita Puspure had also shared their experiences privately with the committee.

Psychologist Dr. Paul Gaffney testified to the committee in 2024, stating he was treating 12 current and former athletes from the program. Following these testimonies, the government concluded that an independent review of the response to these matters "could be helpful." Rowing Ireland has stated it will "engage constructively" with the review process.

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Amanda has significant experience in the sports sector as both an athlete and governance specialist, she is therefore ideally positioned to carry out this important work.

Bennett, a former Welsh rugby international, brings extensive experience in sports governance, having worked with organizations like the Football Association and the Irish Rugby Football Union. She will be assisted by Kathryn Ball, a high-performance consultant and former British rower. Ministers Patrick O’Donovan and Charlie McConalogue made the appointments, with O’Donovan commending the "courage" of athletes who came forward and noting Bennett's suitability for the role due to her background as an athlete and governance specialist.

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During the process she will engage with current and former high-performance rowers to hear their experiences, views and idea.

The review process is set to begin in the coming weeks and is anticipated to conclude by the end of the year. The aim is for the resulting recommendations to be implemented within Ireland's national sports governance and administration framework, aligning with the next 10-year National Sports Policy.

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engage constructively