Debate contribution: Ulster Boxing Council: Equality Commission Review

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 11 November 2025.

MLA

Mr Gordon Lyons

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

11 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

Ulster Boxing Council: Equality Commission Review

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5349140

Read the official Assembly record

Text

My statement is about the outcome of the recent Equality Commission review of the Ulster Boxing Council (UBC). Members will be aware that Daryl Clarke took a case against the Ulster Boxing Council, alleging discrimination on religious grounds, when he was not selected to represent Northern Ireland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. While the case was settled without admission of liability, part of the settlement was that the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) and the Ulster Boxing Council would commit to a comprehensive review, by the Equality Commission, of the governance, practices and procedures that are applicable to them in order to ensure that they comply with the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and any relevant codes of practice. A number of details are now clear to me. First, it is my view that Daryl Clarke was discriminated against because he is a Protestant. Secondly, many of the recommendations of Professor Duncan Morrow's 2013 independent working group on boxing have not been completed or fully implemented. Thirdly, the recommendations made by the Equality Commission must be implemented in order to restore confidence and ensure that Ulster Boxing's practices, as well as those of IABA, not only are fair but are seen to be fair. The status quo cannot continue. No one should have to think that they will not be able to progress in boxing or any other sport based on their religion or community background. Sport is too important for that; we know how it can change lives. Through some of Northern Ireland's darkest days, boxing was a sport that broke through divides and brought people together. It has played an important role and done much for community relations in many working-class communities. We have proudly produced several world champions, who have used their platform to demonstrate that neither religion nor background has to play a role in determining success. I recently had the privilege of visiting Monkstown Boxing Club as it marked the return of 10 young people who had taken part in a leadership exchange programme in South Africa. I was fascinated to learn about the impact of their visit on the communities that hosted them and the impact on the young people themselves. Monkstown is also Daryl Clarke's home club, where he is now project coordinator. I thank him for standing up for himself and for many others like him. It was not the easiest thing to do, which would have been to do nothing. He persevered, however, not just for his own sake but for the sake of those who come after him. We now have a review report from the Equality Commission that contains clear recommendations. The commission's findings echo Professor Duncan Morrow's 2013 report, which gathered dust while the old guard clung to control. The implementation of his recommendations was never completed. Many were simply ignored. Today, that ignorance ends. I will take the opportunity to outline some of the recommendations and the next steps that I will take. First, the report recommends that there be transparent pathways, published standards and selection processes. That guidance must be clearly communicated and will be based on objective measures and the principle of merit. Secondly, the report rightly calls for a code of conduct that includes the displaying of emblems and flags and other displays of identity. Safe venues for boxers should be non-negotiable for all inter-club and championship events. The report also highlights the long-overdue social media policy, which was drafted in response to the independent working group but, again, not implemented. Finally, the report makes clear that Protestants are under-represented on county boards, UBC committees and IABA structures. In order for decision-making to reflect properly the respect and balance that is required for all communities in Northern Ireland, it is recommended that there be co-option of new members and capacity-building in order to ensure that that important balance is struck. Today, I am announcing a new oversight panel for that process. The panel will be established under my direct control and will be complete within 18 months. I will ensure that it properly holds the IABA and the UBC to account through public progress reports. Let me remind the House that those organisations receive public funding through arm's-length bodies of my Department. Any further slippage will not be tolerated. The commission has also undertaken to engage further with the IABA and the UBC to ensure that next steps are implemented with rigour and in a timely fashion. I put on record my thanks to its chief commissioner, Geraldine McGahey, and its chief executive, Louise Conlon, for their work on the report and for the briefing that they provided to me when we met last month. My hope is that, if they are fully implemented as the commission intends, those measures will have the effect of increasing confidence in boxing as an inclusive sport for all communities across Northern Ireland. Let me send a message to all our young sporting hopefuls: I want you to fulfil your aspirations. I want you to be able to compete and not have to worry about the impact that your faith or community background will have on your ability to progress. Merit, not identity, must be the determining factor. I will do all in my power to ensure that the recommendations are implemented. If they are not, those responsible will be held to account. There must be no going back. There must be no acceptance of the status quo. Change is needed, and it must be delivered. I will ensure that that happens. There is too much at stake to do nothing. To Daryl and others like him, I say this: I am sorry for the barriers that you have faced and for the opportunities that have been lost. That is not your fault. We must ensure that it does not happen again. I commend the statement to the House.

984 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:37 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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