Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 6

Written Answers - Safety Regulations.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

396 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if his Department has any responsibility in respect of controls, safety standards or the development of policy in the sport and recreational industry; if his Department has previously accepted responsibility or a supervisory role in respect of any, all or none of safety or development controls in respect of passive or active sporting activities; if responsibility in these areas rests with his Department or some other agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter with particular reference to swimming. [23662/98]

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Dr. McDaid)

As I have indicated previously, my Department has no statutory functions in respect of controls and safety standards for sport and recreation facilities, or for industry relating to such facilities. Responsibility for these matters lies primarily with the organisers of events or activities, and with the management of premises and stadia used for sporting purposes, particularly with regard to compliance with fire safety legislation and building regulations dealt with by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. Matters of public order, of course, are a matter for the Garda Síochána.

The Department of Education facilitated the preparation and publication in January 1996, of detailed, and comprehensive, codes of practice for safety at sports grounds and at outdoor pop concerts for the guidance of organisers and ground administrators.

The codes were prepared by a working party, chaired by a senior local authority official, which also included a senior garda, a chief fire officer, a local authority building surveyor and a local authority senior structural engineer.

The codes were completed following extensive consultations with national sports organisations, stadium management, event promoters and the various statutory and non-statutory authorities involved. The codes are voluntary and have been widely distributed to sports organisations, gardaí, health boards, local authorities, event promoters etc.

Local authorities, gardaí and health boards, of course, play a central role in assisting ground management to meet their responsibilities and may, in certain circumstances, have to insist on specific measures being taken in order to achieve reasonable standards of safety.

The Department of the Environment and Local Government has recently prepared and published a further code of practice dealing specifically with Indoor Pop Concerts.

My Department has responsibility for the development of policy to facilitate and increase participation in sport and recreation. Policy objectives in this area are pursued primarily by way of provision of grants to recognised national governing bodies of sport, and towards the cost of the development and refurbishment of sports facilities. Sports bodies are independent, autonomous organisations which are subject to all the laws and regulations relevant to their activities, such as fire laws, building and public health regulations and, of course, criminal and civil laws.

In relation to swimming, as the Deputy is aware, funding to the Irish Amateur Swimming Association was suspended last February pending the outcome of an independent inquiry established by the Government into matters relating to child sexual abuse in swimming, conducted by Dr. Roderick Murphy, S.C. Dr. Murphy's report was presented to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation in June. The swimming association has just completed preparation of its response to the report which was submitted to me last week, and is currently being examined in my Department.

The code of ethics and good practice in children's sport in Ireland is also being reviewed, in close co-operation with the Department of Health and Children. The current code, developed by a specially established expert committee under the auspices of the Department of Education and Science, was published in June 1996, and issued to all governing bodies of sport. The code is voluntary and provides detailed guidelines and assistance for sports organisations on the proper treatment of children in sport. One of the primary objectives of the current review will be to provide guidance to sports organisations on how best to co-operate effectively with the statutory authorities, i.e. the health boards and the Garda, who have specific responsibility in relation to the protection of children and the management of child sex abuse cases.