The Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, has made it clear he will continue to refuse to reinstate funding to the Irish Amateur Swimming Association unless it implements "a lot of change". The IASA is also excluded from the planning process for Ireland's first 50-metre swimming pool.
Dr McDaid's comments were made yesterday as the IASA delivered its initial response to Dr Roderick Murphy's report into the sexual abuse of young swimmers. It will be several weeks before the IASA delivers a detailed reaction to the report.
The Minister said he planned to have consultations with the Irish Sports Council and the All-Party Select Committee in the Dail and added that he continues to "stand over" what he said in relation to State funding for the IASA.
The issue was of such gravity that the IASA would have to demonstrate significant change and "there will be no change in funding until they report to me".
It has also emerged that Dr McDaid, in recent weeks, dismissed protests from the IASA that it was not permitted to participate in the planning process for the proposed 50-metre swimming pool.
The IASA raised the matter with the Minister some weeks ago but senior sources last night said Dr McDaid did not want to involve the association "in any public business" while the abuse scandal was being dealt with.
Meanwhile, Mr John Treacy, executive chairman of the Irish Sports Council, said the IASA would have to consult widely with their members "before they come back with all the steps that need to be taken". All sports organisations, Government bodies and parents must now "be vigilant" and take steps to ensure that the abuses perpetrated in swimming "will never happen again".
The group that established the existing code of ethics in sport will be reconvened shortly to consider the code again in the light of Dr Murphy's report.
"The ISC will organise a seminar for national governing bodies to look at the recommendations of the report. We will also bring in statutory bodies like the gardai and the health boards to talk about the issues and provide guidelines for the future," Mr Treacy said.