Jack Chambers has expressed deep concern over the state of Irish boxing following Bernard Dunne's decision to quit the IABA as high performance director.
Dunne's exit was confirmed on Tuesday as the boxing body issued a plea for the former world champion, who guided Ireland to two medals in the ring in the Tokyo Olympics, to go back on his decision.
However he is the third high performance director to walk away since Billy Walsh in 2008.
And, with the sport in Ireland rife at war internally, the Government wants to see a recently completed governance report implemented.
Until it is, Sport Ireland has held back the allocation of high performance programme funding to the IABA for the Paris cycle, through to 2024, although the day to day running of the unit is being looked after.
Many other sports such as Rowing Canoeing and Judo have been boosted by big funding increases as part of a €14.2m allocation that ensures multi-year funding for Olympic hopefuls for the first time.
Rowing's funding has been boosted to approximately €3.3m over the next three years, a reflection of the sport's medal haul in Tokyo and the most awarded to any sport in the programme.
But, at present, the IABA's funding has not been confirmed.
Last year the body received €770,000 and, to be in position to increase that figure, Sport Ireland wants to see the IABA implement the governance report "immediately if possible," said Paul McDermott.
The SI's National Governing Bodies and High Performance director added: "We're always here to help people with resources but a lot of the recommendations are free, they don't need us to write them a cheque for it to be implemented immediately.
"Now, immediately might be a bit quick for some people.
"But with the difficulties boxing clubs and any indoor sport has had over the last two years, we don't want them exacerbated by slow implementation of governance reviews, and certainly for boxers.
"It's going to get red hot, the qualification for Paris starts now so they're not serving anybody's purpose.
"I can't give you a timeline, they have to get the review and will have to do an implementation plan."
Meanwhile Chambers, the Minister of State for Sport, admitted: "I'm very concerned.
"Bernard did a very good job at the Tokyo Olympics and he's an incredible asset to boxing, so well respected across the sporting system, and I'm really sorry to see him leave.
"I'd personally like to thank him for his contribution to Irish sport and hope to see him contribute in the future, but there are specific issues around his contractual or employment I can't comment on.
"I'm very concerned about the constant difficulties we are seeing in boxing.
"This is the third High Performance director to leave - and this is causing significant disruption and uncertainty for many members across the sport.
"I understand the governance review which was undertaken is with the IABA now and it references many areas across culture and governance, grass roots and high performance.
"It is clear presently that the IABA need to get a move on to implement a lot of the recommendations and needs to get focussed on what boxing is about - it's about grassroots, about clubs and what it does across so many areas."
The Minister, who recalls being present at Dunne's fight with Prakorb Udomna in 2009, stressed he has a personal interest in the sport's difficulties as his father and brothers were involved in boxing in Corduff.
"Boxing does so much for so many communities and to see the constant in-fighting, the governance challenges and the serious cultural issues which are impacting grassroots is very alarming and concerning," Chambers said.
"They need to move now to positively implement many of the recommendations that have been outlined to them and to put the grassroots and put the boxers first.
"We saw many of the boxers fighting in Europe achieve incredible success in the last few weeks.
"Boxing has brought great success across multiple Olympic cycles and that's in the shadow of constant difficulties at board level which need proper resolution and implementation."
McDermott said that Sport Ireland wanted Dunne to remain in place for Paris.
Prior to Tokyo, however, he was only offered a contract extension that was to run out midway through the new Olympic cycle
"Bernard did an excellent job, there is no query or question about that," McDermott added.
"Whatever people may say, what he built was exceptional. What they did in Paris in qualification for Tokyo was exceptional.
"So, he's a loss. There are a number of issues there but they're not that complicated, really. They're as complicated as people want to make them."
