Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The simple answer is "Yes". The local authority swimming pool programme "does what it says on the tin", but it requires local authority involvement from the start. I know about the issues in the Deputy's constituency of Kildare North; we have these problems all over the country. The amount of money available from the Department in a capital grant goes nowhere near the final cost of providing a swimming pool; therefore, there is a need for a local authority site or local authority finance. In addition, there is a need for a local authority sinking fund, as well as an operating and management team and so on.

To be honest, local authorities run a mile from these things. They do not want to be involved in providing swimming pools because they are a drain on resources. In many cases, therefore, it is up to local authority members to bite the bullet and say they want to have a swimming pool in their area and that they are prepared to put aside so much of their budget and the funding raised from development levies per annum and also provide a site. In reality, that appetite is lacking. Some city and county managers are very good at doing this, whereas in the west they are all over the place. There are big gaps throughout the country where there is no swimming pool infrastructure. We would love to have a situation where there would be more pools, but there is a reticence on the part of local authorities to make progress.