Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am dumbstruck by that information. I understand that is a very fine facility. It was always envisaged that it would be self-financing having had €70 million spent on it. We now find that in its first year of operation it will require a subsidy of almost €2 million. Is funding available from this year's Estimates to pay for it? How will the deficit be made up? Will a blank cheque be given to the organisation? Will it simply advise the Minister what its deficit is at the end of every year? Will it be linked to performance? Will it be linked to the number of swims it provides? Does the Minister agree the facility is costing money and is not performing as anticipated in part because it is a stand-alone facility whereas it was intended to be part of a major campus on which virtually no progress has been made over 11 years?

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