Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this important issue. I call for the establishment of an independent international and expert inquiry into the recent forced closure of the National Aquatic Centre as a consequence of storm damage sustained after Christmas. Up to 60 local people working full-time and part-time at the centre have been laid off and a valuable amenity for swimming as a sport and for leisure activities has been lost to the local community, the eastern region and the country.

I welcome the information I received yesterday from the Office of Public Works, adviser to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism on the National Aquatic Centre, that it is appointing a firm of engineers, led by Mr. Jim Mansfield, to carry out an inquiry on a preliminary basis. I understand this will be a preliminary investigation which will examine the likely causes of the damage to the roof, the design of the building and the quality of the construction. I want the Minister to commit to publishing the results of this investigation.

There has been widespread shock and dismay in my constituency at the forced closure of the National Aquatic Centre resulting in the loss of many jobs and the loss of an important amenity. While there were extraordinarily high winds after Christmas, given the increasing frequency of severe weather conditions, surely all these should have been factored into the design of a new building costing in excess of €60 million. The roof of the Blanchardstown Town Centre, which is close to the National Aquatic Centre, was not damaged and neither were the roofs at Dublin Airport which are even more exposed in high wind conditions.

It is well known, perhaps not to the Minister, that the west and the north-west of Dublin are very exposed to high winds because they lie at the eastern end of a plain stretching to the River Shannon. The aquatic centre is also near the River Tolka and there is often a wind tunnel effect near a river. I would expect that buildings constructed in the area would be designed taking these factors into account. When one bears in mind the building cost in excess of €60 million, it makes the damage all the more incomprehensible. It is important that a full inquiry is established and that the results are published. I understand that further damage was caused by material from the lining of the roof blowing into the ventilation system of the aquatic pool.

The National Aquatic Centre is one of the pet projects of the Taoiseach. I understand the centre is ultimately under the management and ownership of Campus Stadium Ireland whose sole shareholders are the Ministers for Arts, Sport and Tourism and Finance and the Taoiseach. It is imperative that there is a thorough examination of the root cause of the problem. The insurance advice is that until the cause of the damage is clearly established, it is unsafe to allow the public near the complex. Who will bear the ultimate loss? Are the buildings still under warranty? Is there recourse to the architect, designers and builders of the centre or will the taxpayer have to foot the bill? I understand the company managing the centre is insured in respect of its activity but who ultimately bears responsibility for the overall liability for the building?

There has been a remarkable silence from the Government, the Ministers responsible for the building and the company, Campus Stadium Ireland. Employees and local people have been told little, including those who use the centre for sports. The centre was first opened to host the Special Olympics. It has been a great boost to water sports. It is important to sort out the cause of the dreadful damage. We need to know the duration of the likely repairs, the cost of the repair work, when the workers are likely to get their jobs back and if, in the meantime, any provision is being made for those who have been laid off. They received a short letter saying they would be laid off for a short period. They returned last week and were laid off again, this time with no timeframe on how long they are to be laid off.

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