Spectre haunts Irish body

Almost three months ago the then president of Irish swimming's governing body (IASA), Mary O'Malley, stood up at the e.g.m. in the Ashling hotel in Dublin and spelt out how she had been marginalised, how the organisation had let her down, how Irish swimming had failed to deal adequately with child abusers George Gibney and Derry O'Rourke, both of whom were Irish Olympic coaches.

In a final plea, O'Malley took to the podium and challenged the entire top table at the meeting. It was a gesture which was quite remarkable in its directness and in its departure from the presidential script.

"I feel that as a full executive we should all step down and allow Swim Ireland (the new organisation constituted on that day) to move on," she said.

O'Malley was ignored. No one stepped down. No one moved aside. No one even reacted.

In most sports organisations such accusations would have led to disquiet, to root-and-branch investigations. And given that the association has been issued with a swathe of writs from the victims of O'Rourke and Gibney, has had its Government funding stopped and has spawned a Government inquiry in the form of the Murphy Report, O'Malley's final stand seems more pertinent than ever.

This Sunday at 10.0 a.m. in the Ashling Hotel, the most important a.g.m. in the sport's history in this country will take place. Delegates will be asked to vote for officials to take the organisation forward.

Whether or not that represents progress for Irish swimming is in dispute. Those who have lobbied for the "old guard" to step down and allow a clean break with the past say the current organisation has selectively borrowed from the Murphy Report, the inquiry carried out by Roderick Murphy SC. There are a number of details which support this view.

Among Murphy's recommendations in Chapter 12 of the report are that victims should be afforded counselling and therapy and should be encouraged to avail of these services. (1.8).

A child protection officer as proposed by the IASA should be appointed as a matter of urgency. (2.10) A professional coach should not be a member of the committee of a club nor a delegate to the Branch or the association. (1.17) Children, parents, teachers, coaches, officers and officials should be reminded that reporting suspected child abuse or an allegation of abuse is not the same as making a complaint. Reporting is not accusing. (6.1) Since Murphy published his recommendations in June of last year, no known victims have been approached to avail of therapy or counselling and no Child Protection officer has not been appointed. There are many coaches currently running for re-election and there is currently a High Court action against an individual who reported a complaint in good faith to an IASA body. The complaint was directly passed on to the person against whom the complaint was being made and legal action taken.

Swim Ireland must answer questions on these four issues and others and state exactly what function it believes the Murphy Report holds. But they are problems which even a dispassionate a.g.m. cannot immediately solve.