Following the publication of the report of the Independent Inquiry into Matters relating to Child Sexual Abuse in Swimming, I requested Dr. Breda McLeavey, chairperson of the expert committee which drew up the first code of ethics and good practice for children's sport in Ireland, to reconvene the committee to review the code's contents in the light of Dr. Murphy's report.
The committee has carried out a considerable amount of work since its resumption, and has been assisted by the availability of new guidelines on dealing with child abuse cases, recently issued by the Department of Health and Children.
The Irish Sports Council, established on a statutory basis since 1 July 1999, intends, in accordance with its functions as set out at section 6 (c) of the Irish Sports Council Act, 1999, to consult with the national governing bodies of sport in relation to the implementation of the revised code of ethics and good practice for children's sport. The code will be an all-Ireland document endorsed by both the Irish Sports Council and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland.