IRISH INSTITUTE OF SPORT:SEÁN KELLY has denied any conflict with the Irish Sports Council in the reasoning for his decision to step down as executive chairman of the Irish Institute of Sport. However the former GAA president, who was in the job for exactly two years, did claim the delay in enacting legislation regarding the exact remit of the institute effectively made his position "superfluous".

While the timing of Kelly's decision is surprising, just a week before the start of the Beijing Olympics, to which he will still travel, the circumstances of it are not.

Kelly has previously voiced his frustrations at the lack of proper legislation surrounding the status of the institute, and the difficulty this was presenting in the relationship with the sports council.

This, he said, shouldn't threaten the future of the institute, but still he felt the time was right to step down.

"There was always going to be a review after Beijing," he said. "That's the end of another Olympic cycle, everyone takes stock, and a new four-year cycle begins. So I felt this was a good time to move on."

Kelly then expanded on the problem surrounding the final legislation that would give the institute the power, status and autonomy that it was intended to have. This has yet to be passed by the Government, as the debate continued over whether or not the institute should come under the direct control of the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, or exist as a subsidiary of the sports council.

"There's no doubt we have got full co-operation from everybody, including the sports council, the department, and the sports bodies," said Kelly.

"But it terms of the status of the institute, it would obviously be different if the legislation had been passed. I can understand perfectly well where the Government are coming from in terms of delays, and so on, and these are decisions that have to be made, and you have to accept that.

"The main purpose of legislation is to allow the sports council establish fully-owned subsidiaries, that would be able to carry out their own affairs, with policy handed down by the sports council. That didn't happen, and in some respects, it means the title of the executive chairman is somewhat superfluous, and from a cooperate-Government point of view, it's not ideal either.

"There is the possibility, certainly, that the legislation will still be passed. But it's been anticipated for two years now."

Irish Sports Council spokesman Paul McDermott stated that Kelly's decision to step down was mostly a matter of timing: "The institute was set up as a medium to long-term project, and Seán Kelly had indicated that he possibly wasn't going to be around for the long-term.

"We wanted to be up front about that, let people know in advance of the Beijing Olympics that Kelly was moving on, so that it wasn't dragged into any picture afterwards. While the exact legislation still needs to be clarified, in the meantime the sports council is determined that the legislation is pushed on, and will be made as quickly as possibly."

Kelly insisted that strong progress had been made in the first two years of the institute, which was first unveiled in July 2006 by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Some eyebrows were raised when Kelly was named as the first executive chairman, although there can no disputing the commitment he has given the position over the past two years.

His first task was to appoint the four key positions agreed under the initial institute remit, and these are now held by Greg Whyte (director of Sport Science), Rod McLoughlin (director of Sports Medicine), Phil Moore (director of Athlete Lifestyle Services), and Gary Keegan (director of Technical Services).

However, as the delay in enacting the desired legislation continued, cracks began to appear in Kelly's relationship with sports council chief executive, John Treacy, over issues including Kelly's insistence on continuing a weekly opinion column in the Irish Examiner newspaper.

"That's all talk," said Kelly. "There will always be talk of conflicts, always be rumours. But everyone worked together well, moved the thing along nicely, and I'd be happy with the progress we've made.

"It was a wonderful learning experience for me, but my main job was to establish the institute, to appoint key people, and that's been done now.

"I think we've top class people there that can carry the thing forward. I will still travel to Beijing, and will continue in the role up until October, and after that I will be doing consulting work for the sports council, and will continue with that."

Earlier this year the institute set up its headquarters at the Sports Campus Ireland facility at Abbotstown, right next to the new FAI offices, and Kelly dismissed any fear it could all collapse given the Government's increasingly tight resources: "No, it's well established now, and the four key people have been appointed.

"They will continue their work, with essential programmes now in place, and with the London Olympics coming on the horizon now, I think there will be a renewed interest and commitment to sport in this country."