IABA funding cuts paused, Minister Jack Chambers confirms

Fresh cuts in funding to the Irish Athletic Boxing Association for 2022 have been postponed, Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers has confirmed.

In August it was announced that a 15% reduction in the IABA's core funding for the year would be imposed after members of the national governing body for amateur boxing voted overwhelmingly to reject proposed governance reforms at their EGM in Roscommon.

That vote came two months after Bernard Dunne resigned his role as the IABA's high performance director, leaving the role vacant.

But speaking to RTÉ's News At One, Minister Chambers said 70% of recommendations to the IABA have been accepted and as a result funding cuts would now be paused to allow for further engagement on remaining issues of contention.

"Over the last two months there has been engagement between Sport Ireland and the IABA, and Sport Ireland have reported to me that good progress has been made and that now around 70% of the recommendations have been accepted," the minister said.

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"They have informed me that it's a good basis for further discussion and engagement on the remaining matters, that the discussions are in a more constructive space.

"So if you take a step back, you've gone from 0% and an outright rejection to a point of progress of 70% and they now want to work through the remaining matters.

"And as minister, there are three options open to me. There's the restoration of the funding that we've cut and we're not at that point because we still have remaining