Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I make this reply on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue. He very much appreciates the opportunity to have his record and that of the Department put on the record of the House. There is no question of silence here. A full reply will be given and it will address most of the questions posed by Deputies Burton and Deenihan. From the information at my disposal, they will appreciate that I may not be in a position to answer all the questions but I will be able to answer the majority of them.

It is important to put this discussion in context and to note our point of departure. The damage to this building was an act of God, not an act of Government. As the Members will be aware, during severe weather conditions experienced in the west Dublin area on New Year's Day of this year, damage was caused to the National Aquatic Centre. The roof of the 50-metre pool and the diving pool and the roof of the leisure water area were separately damaged. In addition, damage occurred to lights and fittings around the complex. This resulted in the National Aquatic Centre being closed to the public while the building was being made safe, the damage being assessed and the repairs undertaken. We were fortunate that nobody was hurt on that date as the centre was closed because it was a public holiday.

Deputy Burton and other Deputies will be aware that on the same day severe damage was caused to a number of installations in the north and west Dublin areas. Deputies will recall that two aeroplanes were blown together on a runway at Dublin Airport and that the roofs and walls of a number of houses in estates in Clonee and Castaheaney in Fingal were stripped by the high winds.

A number of agents are involved in the National Aquatic Centre. Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited is the landlord. Therefore, the State's interest in this is as the landlord. Rohcon Limited and S&P Architects were responsible for the design and construction of the National Aquatic Centre. The centre is leased to Dublin Waterworld Limited. It is the operating company that formed part of the development consortium. Campus Stadium Ireland Development directed the company to close its fitness facility because of a possible risk to members of the public using it. The company has been responsible for all matters relating to the running of the facility since it concluded the lease agreement with Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited. The Minister and the Department are not involved in the day-to-day operation of the centre. The Minister has been kept fully briefed of developments at Abbotstown. He wants the centre to be reopened as quickly as possible while ensuring there is no risk to the public.

Rohcon Limited responded to the damage on 2 January by doing some initial repair work to make the building safe. Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited managed and oversaw the response to the situation over the following days. The company's priority was to ensure the safety of the public and those using and working in the facility. It focused on ensuring the damage was accurately assessed by the insurance assessors, repairs were carried out as quickly as possible and the debris in the vicinity of the facility was safely removed. Weather conditions, such as the high winds experienced in January, meant that access to the roof proved difficult. That delayed the work of the engineers who examined and reported on it. The national aquatic centre remained closed to the public while the assessment was ongoing, in the interests of public safety. It will remain closed until the essential repairs have been completed.

The Office of Public Works has engaged engineers to examine the damage and to provide a report as a matter of priority, at the request of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited, to ensure the health and safety of the users of the facility and to avoid a recurrence of the damage, in so far as it is practical and possible. The consulting and structural engineering company, Kavanagh Mansfield & Partners, has been appointed by the OPW, on behalf of the Department. The report on the storm damage to the aquatic centre that was prepared by the company is independent of and in addition to a report prepared by another engineering company, O'Connor Sutton Cronin, which was appointed to examine the damage on behalf of the insurance company that provides the centre's insurance cover.

Deputy Deenihan specifically raised the question of insurance. The insurers have indicated to Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited's insurance brokers that they will cover the cost of the storm damage. The House will appreciate that this is an important consideration because the Minister is anxious that the cost of the misadventure should not be borne by the Exchequer. After it presented its report, Kavanagh Mansfield & Partners were appointed by Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited to oversee the development and implementation of the appropriate remedial works for the storm damage.

Rohcon Limited, which has been given a copy of the report prepared by Kavanagh Mansfield & Partners, has been asked to supply its proposals for remedial works as a matter of urgency. The schedule of remedial works is being finalised by Rohcon, the insurers and Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited to ensure that the centre is restored to the highest standards. Under the agreement between the parties, the damage repair work will begin as soon as possible and will be completed in the shortest possible timeframe. All the parties are anxious to proceed with the work as quickly as possible. They expect to begin the work in the next few weeks and to finish without unreasonable delay.

The reopening of the centre is not simply a matter of selecting a future date. A firm estimate cannot be given until the schedule of remedial works has been agreed by Rohcon, the insurers and Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited. I am sure Deputies will appreciate that the Minister's hands are tied in respect of matters of this nature. An announcement will be made about an exact reopening date as soon as it is possible to say with confidence that it is safe to allow the public to enter the premises of the National Aquatic Centre. Contrary to inaccurate information that has been put in the public domain, Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited has been corresponding regularly with Dublin Waterworld Limited about the remedial works and the reopening of the centre.

The Minister realises that the continued closure of the National Aquatic Centre affects the holding of swimming and diving events, which is regrettable. It is a priority of the Minister to ensure that the centre is repaired and brought into safe use as quickly as possible. While the Minister does not wish to see anybody out of employment, neither he nor Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited has control over the matter, as staff are appointed directly by Dublin Waterworld.

As the centre has been closed for health and safety reasons, it would not be appropriate for it to reopen until the works necessary to ensure the health and safety of the staff and public have been completed. The Minister and Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited wish to stress that they want the National Aquatic Centre to be reopened at the earliest possible date. Campus Stadium Ireland Development Limited is working with the various parties to achieve this objective as quickly as possibly. Safety issues must be a priority in that context.

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