The Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) have refuted a claim that the suspension of funding to the organisation by Minister of Tourism and Sport Dr Jim McDaid is not causing widespread problems to swimmers throughout the country. A report in last Tuesday's Irish Independent stated that the withdrawal of funds would "have absolutely no impact".
In addition, the IASA claim that improvements in their child protection procedures, which had included the possible employment of a Child Protection Officer, has now been stopped because the finance is not available.
The irony of this development is clear as Dr McDaid's suspension of funding to the IASA was put into place pending the outcome of an inquiry by Dr Roderick Murphy into child sex abuse in the sport. The report was initiated by Dr McDaid following serious allegations of child abuse made against former Olympic swimming coach, George Gibney, and the recent imprisonment of 1980 and 1992 Olympic swimming coach Derry O'Rourke for 29 charges of sexual abuse against 11 girls. The delayed Murphy report is expected in the Minister's office sometime next week.
Dr McDaid reiterated in the Dail last week that funding to the IASA would be considered only on receipt of the Murphy report.
"If I went back and gave funding to the IASA what would the victims say? That the same situation persists now as persisted then, but just because a certain space of time has gone by that now you are continuing to fund them.
"The answer is no. I am determined not to provide any funding . . . until I am satisfied that all young people who are engaged in the association are in a safe environment. Until I receive the Murphy report I do not have a governing body in which I have confidence in," said Dr McDaid.
"The Child Protection Officer was one of the measures put to the executive after the O'Rourke case," said an IASA spokesman. "It was hoped that a suitable person could be employed on a part-time basis and as a result we advertised the position in a number of national newspapers, including The Irish Times and Independent. We received a number of applications for the post, but when the Minister stopped the funding we could not guarantee a salary and therefore we did not carry out any of the interviews. We wrote to all the applicants explaining this position."
The IASA claim that a number of swimming events have also been hit, including the ASA National Championships in Sheffield in which the Irish team had hoped to compete against some of the top swimmers in Europe.
In addition, they say that the suspension of funding has had a severe effect on the administrative structures and the IASA offices in the House of Sport in Dublin will be closed three days a week.
The IASA also list a number of other areas that have been affected. For example, there will be no training camp for the Junior European Championships and no swimmers will be sent to the Scottish National Championships. Underage swimmers will also not be able to attend the British Age Group Championships in August.
A training and testing camp for elite international swimmers in Hamburg has been cancelled, as has a weekend of testing for elite swimmers in Limerick and a summer national squad camp. The running of some National events may now not proceed.
Dr Murphy is now completing submissions for the report after which it will be sent to the the Minister's office and then to the Attorney General. Yesterday the Minister's office reiterated its stance.
"Funding for all sports is channelled through the relevant National Governing Body. The IASA is the recognised National Governing Body for the sport of swimming and is affiliated to the international federation (FINA). The allegations made concerning procedures used in handling cases of sexual abuse by the IASA are of such a serious nature that I consider that any findings relating to them arising from the Murphy Inquiry would need to be fully addressed by the Association before Government could have complete confidence in their suitability to act as a vehicle for funding for swimming."
