Swim Ireland offers membership and insurance cover to its certified teachers and coaches. The insurance coverage is provided under the auspices of Swim Ireland through the Institute Of Swimming (IOS) in the U.K. Swim Ireland operates, administers and manages the scheme in Ireland. This insurance is renewed on an annual basis.

Candidates who hold a certificate are covered only within the role of their certificate for insurance purposes and they must act within that role to ensure insurance coverage. Where a teacher operates outside the remit of their role the insurance is null and void. Teachers and Coaches are only insured to teach and coach within the parameters of the Teaching and Coaching syllabus that they have certificated qualifications in.

There is no insurance coverage with the IOS for any person teaching/coaching who has no Swim Ireland accredited qualification (or who has not undertaken the recognition of prior learning or equivalency procedure). 

In order to hold Swim Ireland Associate Membership, you must:

1. Be 16-80 years of age
2. Hold current Garda Vetting/Access NI (depending on jurisdiction) through Swim Ireland (within the last 3 years)
3. Hold a current Sport Ireland/Sport Northern Ireland Safeguarding certificate (within the last 4 years)
4. Hold a relevant teaching/coaching certificate 

To apply for insurance you must do so through the Swim Ireland Membership Database, the cost of which is €80.00 or £60.00 per year. 

Swim Ireland’s licensing scheme is based across all aquatic disciplines within the Swim Ireland remit (Swimming, Masters, Synchronised Swimming, Diving, Waterpolo and Open Water Swimming) and is rolled out across all 32 counties.

The purpose and benefits of licensing are not only to help raise, maintain and regulate standards of practice and help professionalise certain aspects and areas within the aquatics but also to help Swim Ireland reward and recognise those working within swimming both as volunteers and paid professionals for their achievement of qualifications.

Licensing is MANDATORY for all Swim Ireland affiliated club registered Coaches and Teachers – please note that Coaches and Teachers not registered as such with their clubs are NOT covered by the Club’s insurance to coach or teach.

Licensing is mandatory for all Swim Ireland affiliated club registered Coaches and Teachers. Your Swim Ireland Teacher/Coach license will remain valid for 1 year and every year Swim Ireland Teachers and Coaches will be required to renew their license, by following the mandatory criteria.

In recognition of the training that Teachers and Coaches have undertaken to gain their qualification and to make it easier for them to obtain a Swim Ireland License, all new Teachers and Coaches (qualifications gained from 1st January 2013) will be allowed a 12 month period of grace (from the achievement date of the qualification as indicated on the certificate) in which to apply for their License without having to attend the normally required Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Seminars.

This means that a newly qualified Swim Ireland Teacher or Coach is required to have the following:

• Swim Ireland Associate or Club Membership 
• Read and accept the Teacher/Coach Code of Conduct on the Swim Ireland Membership Database
• A passport sized ID photograph uploaded to the membership profile on the Swim Ireland Database
• Vetting through Swim Ireland or Swim Ulster for Access NI (depending on the jurisdiction of where you are operating) 
• Sport Ireland/Sport NI Child Protection Training 

Any Teachers or Coaches applying for their licence after the 12 month period following their course will need to apply via the normal route and will be required to attend Swim Ireland CPD seminars or complete Swim Ireland accredited online CPD courses amounting to the 6 points required for their licence.

Please see relevant links below:

• Swim Ireland Database
• Garda Vetting
• New ID validation form for Access NI
• For further information on the Access NI process please see here

1. Swim Ireland Associate Membership application through Swim Ireland Membership Database
2. Swim Ireland Teaching/Coaching Qualification
3. Vetting through Swim Ireland or Swim Ulster for Access NI
4. Child protection training certificate obtained within the last 4 years (Sport Ireland/Irish Sports Council or Sport NI)
5. Relevant fee
6. Photo uploaded to profile on Swim Ireland Membership Database