Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have made a commitment on the funding of rates. For three quarters of this year, we have committed that the Exchequer would centrally fund rates income across that period. I am sure that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, are looking at what kind of commitment we can give for the final quarter. Despite a huge intervention like that, we will not be able to meet every need that we are asked to meet. Due to the level of need that is coming from local authorities and other parts of Government, not to mention from our economy and society overall, not all of those will be met. I hope that in the engagement that will take place with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and with local authorities, really important facilities like swimming pools can be maintained and kept open.

My understanding of the swimming pools that the Deputy referred to is that they have a private operator and are in licence to the local authority. The impact of social distancing and the general decrease in attendance at swimming pools like that is having a really big impact on the funding of those swimming pools and the revenue that that operator is getting from the maintenance of those pools. I hope engagement will be possible on issues like that.

The Deputy also asked whether we can keep this going forever in terms of the funding and things that we had, and I said we cannot. I do believe, however, that we will still be able to do enough to meet really important key needs. I hope now that the local authority in his area and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government can engage on the future of those swimming pools. I and the Chair know from our constituency the importance of those kinds of facilities and I can well imagine the upset that will be caused by the closure of them elsewhere.