Department disputes SCI fees statement

The Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation yesterday disputed a statement made by Sports Campus Ireland (SCI) in relation to the fees arrangement with Magahy & Co.

A spokesman for SCI said he believed the Department never got back to the company after it informed the Department in May 2001 of the new fee agreed with Magahy & Co. He said this didn't matter and the arrangement was implemented.

But a Department spokesman last night said that its general secretary wrote to the executive director of executive services at SCI on June 27th, 2001 welcoming the plans to change the fee arrangement. She also made a number of recommendations to be taken into account when the SCI board met to consider the revised fee structure.

As far as the Department was concerned the SCI board's finance and audit sub-committee was still examining the matter. It understood the committee was considering the need for executive services in light of the suspension of work on the wider Campus Ireland project. The Department said it was awaiting a further recommendation from the board before considering the issue.