Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I am reassured to know that the Minister is hopeful that an agreement will be reached with the club. It would be a tragedy for sport and the club, in particular, if the agreement were to fall apart.

Without going into the specifics of the charges — I accept that the details must be hammered out — what is being referred to broadly is out of line with what would occur in respect of another club. The club's loss of a swimming lane could be seen as imposing an additional charge of 25%. Various factors were built into the desired outcome of the negotiations. The sports facility is an important one. It would be a great shame if it were to be neglected or any necessary subsidies were not provided. It is one of the few family friendly facilities in the Dublin area. I am anxious to be reassured on the project's success.

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