Pool death report remains unpublished

A FRESH call for the release of a report into the death of an eight-year-old boy in a Navan swimming pool last August has been made by a local councillor. Sinn Fein Cllr Joe Reilly said that one year on, the details of "this child's unfortunate and untimely death" remain unknown and he said that was unacceptable. The company managing the pool - Aura Sport and Leisure Management Ltd - said in a statement this week that an independent review had been commissioned by it and that this review had been voluntarily submitted in January last to the Garda considering the investigation and inquest into the death of Isaac Agaba Adefeya. The company said that it expected the review would be taken into account when the inquest was held. It added that it would be inappropriate for the company to comment in the circumstances. The Meath Chronicle has learned that an inquest into the death of the boy is expected to be held within the next few weeks. Cllr Reilly said that the Aura Leisure company had not released, "despite a number of assurances from them", the findings of their own internal report. "Meath Co Council as owners of the property (Meath Sports and Leisure company Ltd) have not demanded the report to be published. No inquest has been held." He said that the public had no way of knowing if the lessons arising from Isaac Agaba's untimely death had been learned. "It is not known if new safety rules or regulations or changes have been implemented as a result of Aura's internal report. Local media have carried reports by a person alleging further safety problems in the pool during the last year. In the absence of an independent report, this is of great concern". "Despite is being a company report and therefore not a fully independent one, I call on the Aura company to release the finding of the report and I call on Meath Co Council as the owners of the property to ensure the company releases the report". The Cllr said that if Aura should fail to do so, Meath Co Council should consider terminating or refusing to agree to a renewal of the leisure complex contracts. "Public or private corporate sensitivities or the protection of their good trading name is of much less importance than the death of an eight-year-old child". The company in its statement this week said that its existing safety and emergency procedures were "of the highest standard" and it employed best international practice. "All staff at Aura Leisure Navan are fully trained and the procedures in operation are continuously reviewed," it said.