Funding depends on IASA response

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, said last night he would immediately ask the IASA for its considered response to the Murphy report. "My immediate priority for the association is that they are able to satisfy all their members that effective measures are now in place to deal with the very serious issues addressed in the inquiry's terms of reference.

"This is essential to restore confidence in the sport, especially among parents, participants and the general public."

Speaking last night at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation to which the Murphy report was presented, Dr McDaid said he would also make the report available to the Director of Public Prosecutions but not with regard to specifically named individuals or investigations.

He urged victims of child sexual abuse in swimming who have not yet come forward to contact the Garda, health boards and other authorities.

The Fine Gael spokesman on sport, Mr Bernard Allen, criticised the Minister for creating "another group of victims" by withdrawing funding for elite athletes training with the IASA.

In reply, Dr McDaid noted that most of IASA's funding was spent on overseas trips and it was on such trips that most of the sexual abuse documented in the report took place. He said he would consider the issue of funding only after the IASA had given its response to the report.

He said he would "be giving specific attention to the recommendation that additional funding be provided for any necessary reorganisation and training as a result of the inquiry . . ." In response to calls for an international register of people "unfit for coaching", Dr McDaid said he would consider making the report available to swimming bodies overseas.

Fianna Fail TD Ms Mary Coughlan said one of the most shocking aspects of the report was that the victims were not aware either of the complaints procedure or of the impropriety of the coaches' actions. She cited a medical officer failing to reveal an incident of abuse to protect doctor-patient confidentiality as a "damning indictment" of the culture of secrecy. Dr Murphy's report was published yesterday as part of an interim report of the Oireachtas committee, which made its decision to issue it after meeting in private for almost four hours.

The chairman of the committee, Mr Michael Ferris TD, said it had taken legal advice before the decision to publish "in the interests of the common good and in the interests of people's good name and character". The committee is to compile a full report on the issue in the coming months.

The leaking to the media of the report was strongly criticised by members of the committee. Mr Ferris said the leak put members of the committee "at a disadvantage" as they had to consider whether to publish the report, parts of which were already in the public arena.

Mr Michael O'Kennedy TD said he didn't want to hear "any more spurious justifications for publishing leaks under the title of the public's right to know". The Fine Gael spokesman, Mr Bernard Allen, accused Dr McDaid of showing "bad judgment" by using the mechanism of the committee to seek publicity. He said he regretted the practice of "any Minister using a committee for their own advantage".

However, Dr McDaid emphatically denied that the leak had originated from his office. He said copies of the report had been sent in confidence to the IASA, the Attorney General and members of the Cabinet.