Madam, - In your Weekend Review of September 24th Johnny Watterson asks: "What has been done since previous scandals to protect young swimmers?" On behalf of Swim Ireland, we welcome the opportunity to assure everyone that many changes have been made to try to provide the safest possible environment for our young swimmers.
While we fully recognise that the sport of swimming has endured a troubled past, we in Swim Ireland with the Irish Sports Council have worked to put in place procedures and safeguards.
Since the publication of the Murphy Report in 1998, the board of Swim Ireland, its CEO and the Swim Ireland National Children's Welfare Committee have been working to implement, through Swim Ireland's guidelines, the recommendations made in the Murphy Report.
Swim Ireland, together with the Irish Sports Council, has to implement a comprehensive child welfare programme, which is regularly updated and reviewed. This embraces the various publications and legislative changes in the area of child welfare which have been put in place since the Murphy Report was first published.
Swim Ireland has put in place a child welfare committee consisting of four provincial child welfare officers who have received training in this area and who work very closely with Swim Ireland and the Irish Sports Council in providing a comprehensive training programme to our affiliated clubs. In particular, every Swim Ireland club, through relevant members, has completed the Irish Sports Council course on child protection.
The priority for the board of Swim Ireland is to provide a safe environment for all its members, particularly children. The board, in conjunction with its members and the Irish Sports Council, has worked very hard to take all steps to ensure that this is the case. - Yours, etc,
SARAH KEANE, CEO,
TONY FARRELL, Chairman,
Swim Ireland,
Joyce Way,
Dublin 12.