The Sports Council has agreed to give Swim Ireland funding for 2003 and to pay this year's salary of the swimming association's new chief executive, Ms Sarah Keane, the High Court was told yesterday.
There has been ongoing controversy within Swim Ireland since May last year when Ms Keane, a Dublin solicitor, claimed she received a letter of appointment. A former national swimming champion and a member of the Irish national water polo team, Ms Keane had left her position as a partner in the Dublin solicitors' firm of Matheson Ormsby Prentice following her appointment as Swim Ireland's chief executive.
In July last year, after Ms Keane issued legal proceedings against Swim Ireland, it gave an undertaking to the court not to appoint any other person to the post of chief executive.
A subsequent court hearing was told by Ms Lynda Fallon, secretary of Swim Ireland, that issues had arisen as to "the validity of communications written or verbal" made to Ms Keane regarding her appointment and regarding "the absence of due process and full compliance with the authorities and responsibilities of the board". A letter from Ms Fallon of July 15th last year stated that it was not accepted or conceded that Ms Keane was "lawfully appointed". Ms Fallon claimed her information suggested that an individual board member or others may have purported to act on behalf of the board "without lawful authority".
However, last January, Mr Justice Gilligan was told that the legal dispute over Ms Keane's appointment had been settled and that her appointment as chief executive had been confirmed. However, the judge also heard that the appointment was conditional on getting the approval of the Sports Council.
Yesterday, Mr Mark Connaughton SC, for Ms Keane, said his client had received a number of letters confirming that the Sports Council would provide funding for 2003 and funding for Ms Keane's salary in 2004.
Mr Michael O'Higgins, for Swim Ireland, said there "very much" were outstanding issues between his clients and Mr Ben Kealy, a director of the association, and KPMG, the consultants involved in selecting Ms Keane. Those actions were ongoing.