Tipperary swimming group say they are not giving up on their children’s lessons
We Just Want to Swim Templemore campaigner Deirdre Ryan has said recent setbacks are not the end of the campaign.
Earlier this month, the Templemore Swimming and Lifesaving Club, led by Instructor Mark Kiely, posted on Facebook that a review of their licence application was blocked due to new Garda College rules.
According to the new Garda College Sports Facilities Code of Conduct, the pool is now only available for hire between 9am and 12:30pm, Monday to Friday.
The pool must be booked for an event with four weeks notice given.
The Swimming and Lifesaving Club said they would be willing to do the extra administrative work to ensure access for their children.
However, cost is still an issue. The Code of Conduct says those using the facility cannot charge money to do so, and a licence requires a €6.5million insurance plan. On behalf of the club, instructor Mr Kiely said on social media:
“Unfortunately, this is the news we were hoping not to hear or have to share with all of you, but we are not surprised with this outcome.”
That should have been the end of the matter.
However, Ms Ryan told the Tipperary Star this week, that the campaign had spent the summer setting up a committee and she remains optimistic.
Ms Ryan said she isn’t interested in creating a ‘them and us situation,’ and is hopeful that the lines of communication with the college can be reopened.
“I still think as a community and with the committee, we can leave the door of communication open with the college,” said Ms Ryan.
Ms Ryan says the schools are now in the process of renewing their licences, and that is “really positive”.
But she also said people locally were ‘gobsmacked’ by the change in the garda college policies, and they cannot understand why they would make the process harder.
But the campaign and the community are not giving up. “We are still 100% behind this,” said Ms Ryan.
She praised the support they received from their local representatives, including Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill.
AN UPHILL BATTLE
The We Just Want to Swim Campaign has been fighting for access to the pool since last summer.
There are two groups, The We Just Want to Swim Templemore campaign who are the actism side and the Templemore Swimming and Lifesaving Club who will apply for the licence and facilitate the lessons.
Children and adults in the community had used the facilities for 57 years, with generations learning to swim in the pool.
The lessons had been facilitated by various people over the years but during the pandemic the most recent instructors retired.
A new instructor came forward, but rules around the use of the facility that weren't previously applied saw the OPW and the college block the reopening of lessons.
Then last Autumn, the Garda College closed the pool altogether to save on energy costs.
In November last year, hundreds marched in Templemore demanding the re-instatement of their children’s access.
Also in November, and following a meeting with Ms Ryan, the then Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the press at the opening of the Thurles Primary Care Centre that he would ‘work on it,’ saying:
“They said it's an energy crisis issue. Well if it’s that, surely we can bring the various agencies together.
“Can we collectively work together to reduce the impact of the energy increases and get the facility open.
“ So I will work on this now with various agencies because I understand it is used extensively by children and by young people.”
Last year, the matter was raised in the Dáil by Tipperary TDs Jackie Cahill and Michael Lowry.
Minister Helen McEntee reportedly made contact with the OPW and Garda College Authorities.
As a result, access to the pool was reinstated for the schools but not the community.
However, after Minister McEntee went on maternity leave, Minister Simon Harris took over the justice portfolio. Earlier this year he met with the group in Leinster House, and it seemed the group continued to have Ministerial support.
NO RECORDS FOUND
Earlier this year, the Tipperary Star submitted a series of Freedom of Information requests to the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Justice.
We requested written and or digital correspondence (including emails and text messages) between former Taoiseach Micheál
Martin and the authorities at the Garda College in relation to the issue for dates between October 2022 and January 2023. The department informed us in February that no records could be found saying:
“A search of the records of the Department of the Taoiseach was undertaken and no records that fall within the scope of your request were identified.”
To the Department of Justice, we submit two Freedom of Information requests for written and digital correspondence between Minister Helen McEntee and the college authorities from October 2022 until January 2023.
The same records were sought in relation to Acting Minister Simon Harris for dates between January 2023 and April 2023.
This requests were refused in June for the following reason:
“A record concerned does not exist or cannot be found after all reasonable steps to ascertain its whereabouts have been taken.”
GOING FORWARD
The We Just Want to Swim Templemore campaign have their sights firmly set on the future. And they are not giving up. With a new committee formed, they are confident they can work with the college.
“I am hopeful the college will see how important it is for us to restart those lessons,” said Ms Ryan.