Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
Introduction
As the National Governing Body (NGB) for swimming and the aquatics across the
island of Ireland Swim Ireland welcomes and appreciates the opportunity to
contribute to the National Sports Policy Framework. This document is a follow up
to our earlier submission in December 2015 and in addition to a joint submission
with Ireland Active on the subject such is our passion and belief of how
fundamental swimming is to a National Sports policy.
In the consultation document Minister Ross states that ‘the new policy will
consider what should be the priorities for Government investment in sport’.
Minister Donovan refers to the ‘continuing challenges around gender, social, age
and disability gradients in participation’ and the ‘worrying trends in drop off
points in participation by children and young people’. Whilst we believe strongly
in the benefits of all sports, we would emphasise the importance of swimming
which we believe to be underestimated in the current ranking system of
government support to sport particularly in relation to current funding. We
believe that swimming and Swim Ireland should be funded to the highest level of
funding available. We say this for the following reasons:
 There is a wealth of research pointing to the specific health benefits of
swimming and it is one of the only sports that is truly suited to life-long
participation. Research tells us that of all sporting activities, swimming is
best able to retain and attract participants over the life course. The
red line in Figure 1 below indicates how swimming retains participation rates
over the course of a life cycle, better than any other popular sport.
Figure 1
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
 Swimming is the second most popular activity taken up as a child and still
participated in as an adult
 It is the most popular sporting activity take up as an adult (Figure 2)
Figure 2
 Of the popular children’s sporting activities swimming suffers the least drop
off in participation during the volatile early adult years (18 – 22) – ISM 2015
 Swimming is the most popular sport across the ‘challenging areas of gender,
age and disability gradients’
 CSO forecasts suggest that the population of 65+ year olds will account for
over 16% of the total population by 2026 compared to the current 13%. Our
ageing population demographic suggests that the National Sports Policy
should prioritise sports that will best facilitate physical activity among older
adults. Research in Ireland and internationally consistently points to the
popularity of swimming. Swimming is not just one of the most popular sports
for adults in Ireland (8% of adults aged 16+ participated at least once a
week equivalent to almost 290,000 adults regularly swimming), it is the most
popular activity among older adults, an attribute that is particularly
important given Ireland’s ageing demography already referenced above.
 As a low load bearing sporting activity swimming has particular appeal for
individuals who are overweight or have a long-term illness / disability who
might otherwise not engage in any sport or physical activity.
 For the vast majority of swimmers, it is the only sporting activity (apart from
recreational walking) which they undertake. This is particularly so in the case
of women (a particular target of sports policy). In 2015, 5.6% of the 8.6%
of women who swam did not take part in any other sporting activity. This
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
means that, for over 1 in 20 women swimming represents their only regular
means of engaging in some health enhancing physical activity (excluding
recreational walking). ISM 2015. It is also one of the few sports whereby
the participation by women is as high if not higher than men.
 In addition, Figure 4 shows that for adults with severely limited disability a
greater proportion of them take part in swimming than in all team sports
combined and that there is no significant difference in participation
rates in swimming between those with no disability and those with a
disability.
Figure 2
We are all aware that Swimming and other aquatic sports in Ireland do not enjoy
the profile of the ‘Big Three’, namely GAA, Soccer and Rugby. The fact that the
Big Three are funded separately and at a higher level than all other sports
implies a ranking system that Swim Ireland believes is not warranted. Swim
Ireland is certainly grateful for the investment in our sport. We would suggest
however that funding for swimming should be at least at an equivalent level to
that of the Big Three, and that policy would reflect the capacity of the sport to
deliver benefit to the health and fitness levels of the nation over the full life
course. Swimming is a key life-skill of fundamental importance for an Island
Nation.
Furthermore, we would advocate that Swim Ireland as an organisation has a
proven track record in terms of governance and appropriate structures and is
leading in this area having been the first sporting governing body to adopt the
Voluntary Code of Governance. This means that investment in our organisation
can be made in the confidence that it is operating to a very high standard in line
with Government priorities and commitment to governance as a ‘key part of the
new National Sports Policy Framework’.
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
We believe that for the reasons outlined above and indeed for many others
referenced in our other submissions, swimming needs to be integral to and a
priority for Government in terms of investment and support in order to achieve
the targeted high level goal for participation in sport to contribute to a healthier
and more active society.
While we have primarily referenced participation and recreational swimming
above, our remit as an NGB encompasses swimming right up to elite level on the
world stage. We have sought below to respond to the specific questions in
relation to high performance in the consultation document.
What targets should be set for high performance sport
e.g. number of medals won, podium finishes, impact on
participation levels, others?
Internally, amongst a high performance staff, podium places, finalists’ positions
and/or number of qualifiers for major Games/Championships can and should be
set at challenging but achievable levels. Therefore, we believe that targets
should be set for high performance sport in terms of medals, podium finishes
and indeed Top 8 and Top 16 which are relevant at this point to show the
progress of what is at this moment in time a relatively young High Performance
system. We should also have a vision for what we are striving for as a Nation in
terms of results at major sporting events whilst recognizing that this may not be
what we are currently delivering.
Having said that, such information should not be conveyed to athletes directly,
in terms of individual sporting expectations. Athletes should be offered process
driven targets and goals which are achievable on a day-by-day, cycle-by-cycle,
and season-by-season basis. Athletes should not be presented with targets that
are out of their control and determined by the performance of their opponents.
It is vitally important that the system supports the athlete as a person in the
holistic sense at all times.
What are the strengths of the current high performance
structures i.e. talent identification and management
process for elite athletes, supports for elite athletes
during and post their sporting career etc., and how can
these be further enhanced?
Almost every element of the Irish High performance system can be further
enhanced. The Institute of Sport is still only in its infancy and, if supported, will
continue to grow in terms of its aim to provide world class support to Irish elite
athletes. A lot more work needs to be done on supporting elite athletes to
transition from their sporting career and this structured support is a relatively
new phenomenon in Irish sport. Talent identification and management processes
for elite athletes are heavily dependent on the right High Performance personnel
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
being in place and certainly for Swim Ireland, a comprehensive review of our HP
structure has recently been completed and we have determined that the
optimum structure for the delivery of our sport at elite level is:
 National Performance Director with an off-deck role working at a strategic,
leadership and development level for the sport as a whole.
 We have an established senior National High Performance Centre based at
the NAC in Dublin, led by the National Head Coach and assisted by a
National Performance Support Manager.
 High Performance Coordinator to focus on the logistics of policy,
procedure and administration.
 A Performance Pathway Manager so that club and coach development
work is operated within a two tier system between this operative and the
NPD.
 A second National Performance Centre with a Youth and a late-developing
senior focus is operational in Limerick, led by an international renowned
world class coach.
 A strong relationship with the Irish Institute of Sport which will allow the
Performance Support Manager to interface with their practitioners in
regards to daily proactive intervention and the wider needs and
requirements of high performance athletes within the shores.
Is the balance right as to the focus of Government
spending on the various elements of high performance
(carding scheme, coaching, NGBs, support services etc.)?
Coaching Ireland contributes to coach qualifications; however this is the first
step on the coaching journey. Whilst the Institute of Sport contributes to the
support of elite coaching much of the work post-qualification rests with NGBs.
Whilst there is no doubt that there is need for improvement in the system and
some sports are further along the process in this regard than others, all research
indicates clearly that High Performance results are directly relatable to the levels
of investment. As a nation we love sport and sporting success at the highest
possible levels on the world scale. If this is a premise from which we work, then
the money afforded to sport to achieve podium positions at European, World and
Olympic levels is rarely sufficient.
Should the high performance structure be more
centralised or be devolved to individual NGBs and how
should the respective roles of the Department, Sport
Ireland and NGBs be defined?
Swim Ireland believes that High Performance should be devolved to the experts
within their particular field, which is inevitably the HP department of each NGB.
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
Centralised additional support to NGB’s is crucial and essential and should be
identified at financial, administrative and generic support levels.
It is suggested that the role of the Department should be to set out the vision
and the targets for High Performance sport in Ireland together with delivering
the relevant investment in order to support this. Sport Ireland would then
determine that the relevant structures are in place with individual organisations
to deliver the agreed plans and targeted results and are best placed to ensure
that the investment is allocated appropriately to individual sports. Olympic
sports understand High Performance systems , however there is a perception in
sport that there needs to be a clearer government policy around funding
indigenous sports, particularly at local levels.
What criteria should be applied when identifying what
sports should qualify for High Performance support?
Should the strategy be to fund a wide range of sports or
focus on a smaller number of sports?
Olympic, World and European success should be identified, tracked and
monitored on a sliding scale with Olympic achievements being the primary focus.
Attention should also be paid to achievements at European and World
Junior/Youth levels where the age and development demographic of such
athlete/s indicates that they are ‘on track’ for success within the immediate or
immediately proceeding Olympic cycle.
It is understandable why to date the strategy has been to fund a wider range of
sports when you consider the youth and early stages of development of the High
Performance system in Ireland. Having said that it does appear that a more
informal ‘tiering’ is starting to happen of High Performance sports within the
structure. It is certainly time for this to happen and whilst this is crucial when
monies are insufficient, it is still crucial to the integrity of the system even when
funding is more widely available.
What successful international high performance models
could Ireland learn from?
Ireland must remember that it is unique, as is any nation. It is easy to compare
ourselves with Great Britain as our neighbour but their whole structure and
system is based on a high financing model and a population ten-fold to our own.
More can be learnt from the best practices of Norway and New Zealand as their
population size suggest some similarities but again, their circumstances and
culture are very unique and different to our own. We would suggest that a
sieving process of all best practice worldwide is utilised with a clear focus of
what it is to be Irish, what it is to partake in Irish sport and what it is that
impresses the Irish populous. A crucial element of this we would suggest is
having World class high performance personnel in the system to challenge us on
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
an on-going basis to be ‘High performance’ in terms of the highest levels of
World and Olympic success.
Are there other challenges and issues that need to be
addressed in this area?
All sports face the ongoing challenge of recruitment and retention into their
particular area. The geography of the island will always be an issue in terms of
resourcing athletes within the varying regions. The traffic and travel issues in
and around Dublin will always pose challenges to National Centres operating in
or within the hinterland of the capital. Strong relationships with Northern Ireland
must be retained and furthered to help ensure Irish talent from the North always
see Ireland as their natural nation of representation. In terms of retaining High
Performance athletes within our own shores, our connectivity between National
Centres, external service providers and funded higher education opportunities
must be accentuated to avoid talent drains into the USA and Scotland.
Another challenge is the recognition of where sports truly are on the ‘High
Performance journey’ and an honest assessment of how long this journey to the
podium might take with relevant markers along the way and support for the
longer haul. Having truly world class athlete perspective involved in the
assessment of the system is key to this.
Finally, we’d like to contribute in the area of Governance.
Sport is, in many instances, lagging behind the rest of society in terms of
governance. It is only in 2016 for the first time that Sport Ireland has specifically
sought a commitment from NGBs to adopt the Governance Code as part of the
funding and recognition process and this is to be welcomed.
Swim Ireland considers itself a leader in the field of governance best practice.
Our Constitution provides for the appointment of skills based, independent
directors along and coupled with term limits ensure rotation of directors and that
adequate skills are available around the boardroom. Swim Ireland was the first
sporting NGB to adopt the Governance Code, doing so in 2013, before it became
mandatory. Adopting the Code has allowed us not only to demonstrate our high
standards of governance but has also prompted us to review our governance in
light of best practice.
Having said this we recognise the challenges associated with the implementation
of the measures referred to above which should not be under-estimated. The
following is just a sample of these:

Almost all NGBs are currently established as Companies limited by
guarantee meaning that in order to change their board structures it will
require 75% of their membership entitled to vote at general meetings of
the company to vote in favour to pass the resolution(s)
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017



Our volunteers are our greatest strength in Irish sport and their dedication
and commitment is most cases is just incredible. Many see the
introduction of term limits, independent directors for example as
acceptable so long as it doesn’t apply to them. Therefore we must weigh
up the balance of immediate implementation versus slower change which
is embraced more easily.
Governance is about culture and about people and often individual support
is needed for the Chair/President and CEO in terms of specific planning
and implementation around governance rather than a more general form
of tool-kit/seminar
We would suggest that there should be an Accountable Person for
Governance within the organisation at a senior level in order to ensure
that it is embedded in the organisational culture
Is the appropriate role of the Department of Transport,
Tourism and Sport around governance of sporting
organisations?
It is appropriate that the Department should set policy around good governance
which Sport Ireland would then look to implement through regulation, education
and the setting of targets and timeframes around implementation. The
establishment of a Sport Governance Working Group where sporting bodies and
the Department can discuss and agree principles and targets around governance
is recommended.
What is the appropriate role of Sport Ireland in terms of
governance?
It is important, as the funding body, that Sport Ireland should require high
standards of governance itself and across funded organisations to ensure
confidence is maintained and investment is well placed. It is appropriate that
Sport Ireland continues to require sporting bodies to adhere to The Governance
Code and ensure that supporting tools and processes be provided along the
journey to better governance. However, in order to ensure action and progress,
specific targets should be agreed to demonstrate progress. It is well established
in governance training that there can be difficulties (of openness to discuss
problems for example) when the regulatory/funding body is also the training
body however Sport Ireland appears to be managing this challenge at this
juncture.
Gender balance in NGB leadership
The recently published 2016 Women on Boards Gender Balance in Global Sport
Report reveals there has been no real progress with regard to the number of
women on sports boards at international level and variable progress within
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
individual sports and at country level. In Ireland although no exact figures exist,
it is widely accepted that women are under-represented at the highest levels of
sport. Swim Ireland is a notable exception to the norm, the two most senior
positions that of CEO and Chair of the Board of Directors are female. It is Swim
Ireland’s view that constructive measures need to be taken to address the
matter. An approach similar to that in the UK, where targets are set and
meaningful action must be taken, would be a progressive approach to improving
gender balance on sporting boards in Ireland. The 30% figure in the UK is
however a target rather than a quota, and evidence of real effort is required
by Sport England and UK Sport towards meeting the targets when assessing
funding. Sport plays an important role in our economy as well as in the health
and wellbeing and self-empowerment of our citizens. Injecting a female
perspective into the sector at the highest levels benefits everyone. Sport
Ireland, directed by the Department of Sport, should, we would suggest, set
and monitor gender targets and give direction and support to sporting
organisations in meeting targets through a comprehensive education programme
whilst requiring NGBs to be really honest in their self-assessment and driven to
support the aims of the policy.
What works well in the current recognition process for
national governing bodies of sport and are there areas
for improvement?
There are now significant resources in this area to avail of in considering
improvement and we can look to international practice rather than having to
come up with all of the answers ourselves. In the UK, the Sport & Recreation
Alliance (the equivalent of the Federation of Irish Sport) provide a Voluntary
Code of Good Governance for the sport sector and support it with training for
sporting bodies. The Australian Sports Commission provides a guidance
document on the principles of good governance (Sport Governance Principles).
Sport New Zealand has developed a guidance document: ‘Nine Steps to Effective
Governance Building High Performing Organisations’. There is a convergence of
principles around good governance internationally, which is adequately captured
in The Governance Code in Ireland. The EU funded ‘Better Board Stronger Sport’
toolkit provides guidance for sporting bodies in developing governance good
practices and wider education amongst the sports sector on its principles should
be a priority. All of these resources outline best practice and practical steps to
improving governance.
It is important to note that Sport Ireland has been engaged in this area for quite
some time now and there is significant awareness within NGBs (big and small) of
the need for standards of governance. We would suggest however that much
more in-depth and individual discussion and commitment is required from NGBs
(including the bigger ones) in relation to the implementation of good governance
standards. A tiering system or comply/explain philosophies are open for
consideration but for real change we need to pursue this agenda relentlessly as
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a fundamental element of policy with relevant targets for progress for Sport
Ireland to deliver on. It will require additional resources in order to ensure
individual and dedicated training/support which will be required in many
instances to effect the change.
Conclusion
We thank the Department for the opportunity to be involved in this process and
we congratulate all on the drive to develop a National sports policy framework
which sets a path for future politicians, policy makers, leaders and
administrators in sport to follow over the next 10 years.
We have commented above on key areas of the consultation document and we
have included some brief thoughts in the Appendix to this document on some of
the areas that we have not made reference to thus far in the document.
We reiterate our view that investment in sport is vital to the continued
operation, management, administration, delivery and development of swimming
and sport generally in Ireland. Irish society has changed and sport cannot just
happen anymore but requires proper infrastructure, trained and vetted
personnel, appropriate facilities, professional support and sustainable
programmes. Since 2008 current spending on Irish sport by government, as
distributed through the Irish Sports Council (now Sport Ireland) dropped by 26%
(€15m) and investment in 2016 and 2017 has levelled off with some small
gains. We recognise that monies are tight and that significant effort has been
and continue to be made to achieve further investment for Sport. We would
advocate that in terms of current funding a rise of 20% has the potential to
transform the landscape whilst still only representing a small percentage of the
overall Department budget not to mention the overall Government budget.
There is a strong body of research both at home and internationally, to support
the importance of swimming as a sport both from a safety aspect and also in
recognition of the health benefits and lifelong participation enjoyed by the
sport. We believe that swimming should receive a particular focus for
investment at least to the level of the Big Three team sports. We are committed
to exploring alternative income streams and supports for swimming from various
sources and at this point we are generating over 50% of our own income.
Furthermore, we believe that there is much that can be done utilising
partnerships and maximising existing resources if a co-ordinated approach is
taken under the ‘Get Ireland Swimming’ banner/initiative. Swim Ireland, as an
organisation, is best placed to lead in this area.
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
Appendix A- Answers to themes in the NSP consultation document
(the remainder being addressed in our joint submission with Ireland
Active)
National Sports Campus
The facilities in National Sports Campus are world class. Swim Ireland
contributed to the investment in athlete accommodation on the campus and the
opportunity afforded to our elite athletes to live in such close proximity to the
pool has been invaluable. We endorse and support the need for more athlete
accommodation on the Campus.
We appreciate the challenge of the economic sustainability of the National Sports
Campus. We are of the view that some facilities or elements of the Campus are
appropriate for general participation and use by the public. We would caution
however that, in our view, it will not be possible to maintain facilities to the level
or indeed to support the usage required for High Performance sport if an equal
prioritisation is given to both. It may well result in an exodus of High
Performance sport over time off the Campus.
Safety in Sport
Swimming is a key life skill and not just a sport. As an Island nation learning to
swim is fundamentally important for our citizens.
Integrity of sport and international influence
We believe that the Irish Anti-Doping strategy has always been at the highest
levels of best practice and indeed in certain cases leading in specific areas and
we should all be proud of this. We would suggest however that in certain cases it
is picking up athletes and sports where the issue is not about the integrity of
sport but often more about individual behaviour in terms of use of recreational
drugs for example. It should be considered how this can be addressed whilst
protecting the fundamentals of the system as this is utilising resources that
could be better spent elsewhere.
Outdoor Recreation
In the UK, 14.7% of all swimming activity is outdoor swimming 1 and when
applied to Ireland this could mean that as many as 23,500 adults are swimming
outdoors each week. We are an island nation with an abundance of free natural
resources. There are communities scattered all around Ireland who are
swimming in our lakes, rivers and sea every day in the summer and often a
good number of that community are swimming during the winter months also.
An ability to swim provides an opportunity for free physical activity and sport. It
is our view that we need to maximise our natural resources to encourage and
1
Active People Survey, Sport England, 2014
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Swim Ireland National Sports Policy Framework Submission – January 2017
increase participation in outdoor swimming, we believe that. Outdoor swimming
could be developed as part of a National Swimming Strategy.
Sports Tourism
‘A study on the economic impact of major sports events 2 concluded: “The
evidence presented…suggests that the European model of attracting major
sports events to cities that do not require additional infrastructure investment in
order to host the event can generate significant economic benefits to the host
cities.’3
In Ireland we have the infrastructure to host such events, for example the
European Swimming Championships, however to bid for an international event is
costly and it would not be possible to bid for such an event without the financial
support of Fáilte Ireland and other state agencies. In Denmark, which has a
similar population to Ireland, their dedicated bidding agency ‘Sport Event
Denmark’ wins 4 out of every 5 bids for hosting events. Copenhagen will host
the 2017 European Swimming Championships and there is no reason why
Ireland could not host a European swimming event in the future. We are of the
view that an event could be targeted every 5-10 years which is not putting
undue stress on the sports public purse. However, this would require a widening
of Fáilte criteria beyond bed nights- to include legacy, national profile and the
wider development of the sport.
Measuring the Impact of sport
Clarity of starting points are key in order to measure appropriately as indeed are
results as opposed to outputs. It is challenging in some case to measure the
impact of sport as some of the most important aspects/benefits (for example
social capital) are intangible. Once off participation opportunities whilst
important are not a replacement for sustainable participation where the health
benefits are actually reaped. Clearer expectations of organisations and agencies
in this regard would be welcomed and we’d suggest a working group/Committee
being appointed with relevant experts would be important to examine this. A
system that is overly bureaucratic may stymy some of the good work being
done. Accountability is key but this should not just be isolated to numbers but
should also examine governance, sustainability and infrastructure around the
projects/programmes, to name a few.
2
The Economic Impact of Major Sports Events: a Review of Ten Events in the UK,
Gratton et al, 2006
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