The IASA is determined to honour the work of its competitors by sending a team to the European junior championships in Antwerp next month, which would go some way to easing the disappointment of missing this weekend's Scottish championships because of the withdrawal of government funding.

The team could consist of up to seven swimmers, depending on times posted within the next week. But the sad reality is that team members from the Republic, unlike their squad mates from Northern Ireland, must travel to the prestigious European tests ill-prepared, indeed bereft of any training or competition in a 50metre pool.

Northern Ireland candidates for selection, who are also involved in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpa in September, will benefit from overseas-training funding from the Northern Ireland Sports Council.

Some team members in the south, desperate for long-course training before the Antwerp event from July 30th to August 2nd, are hoping to secure funding from their families or clubs.

National coach Ger Doyle said: "We just couldn't say to the juniors, after all the hard work they have done, that there are no Europeans for them because we have no money.

"This is their big occasion and the amount of work put in by them in between study for exams must be recognised."

Niamh Cawley from Claremorris is prepared to go to the Europeans with support from family and club. She intends to compete at the British ASA championships in Sheffield from July 9th to 12th in the run-in to the Irish Open championships in Belfast and the Europeans in Antwerp.

It is hoped that the IASA can afford to send the team to Antwerp a couple of days ahead of competition. This would be some help, but grossly inadequate none the less.

The good news for the IASA is that one of its officials, Ray Kendal, has been appointed secretary of the LEN Technical Swimming Committee by the European Federation. It is the first appointment of an Irish official to a European committee. Kendal will be responsible for all technical aspects of European swimming competitions for the next four years.