John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

Swim Ireland has made a genuine effort to try and resolve its difficulties. However, I point out to Deputy Wall that the only recommendation in the 1998 Murphy report of direct relevance to my Department concerns the issue of funding. This is the reason I dealt with that issue in my reply. The report advocated that additional funding be allocated through the Irish Sports Council for the development of sport and that this funding should be given to Swim Ireland for necessary reorganisation and training. Since 1999, Swim Ireland has received over €3.6 million in funding from the Irish Sports Council. The grants received last year amounted to €804,500.

A number of other recommendations in the report related to the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Education and Science. These recommendations were brought to the attention of the relevant Departments for their information.

In reply to the point made by Deputy Wall, the Irish Sports Council is satisfied that Swim Ireland has been restructured and refocused in accordance with the recommendations of the Murphy report. Since the publication of the report in 1998, further changes have taken place with regard to best practice and in legislation on child welfare through the Department of Health and Children. There have also been reviews and updates of the Irish Sports Council's code of ethics on good practice for children's sport.

The Irish Sports Council has confirmed to me that Swim Ireland is in compliance with the provisions of the council's code of ethics and good practice for children's sport in Ireland. I hope this statement is of assistance not just to Deputy Wall, but through him to Swim Ireland.

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