Dáil debates
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Swimming Pool Projects
2:30 pm
Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I am pleased to be given the opportunity, on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, to clarify for the House the situation with regard to the St Enda's community school sports complex. The school has operated a swimming pool and sports complex since the 1970s, one of five such complexes operated by community and comprehensive schools. When the sports complexes were established alongside community and comprehensive schools, it was envisaged that they would operate on a self-financing basis. However, it was always recognised that additional costs were associated with the operation of swimming pools. For this reason, all five sports complexes receive an annual payment of €44,000 from the Department towards the cost of swimming pool maintenance.
Over a period of years, the St Enda's complex has failed to deliver on a commitment to become self-financing in its day-to-day operations and has built up a substantial deficit. Current funding provided by the Department of Education and Skills, together with some funding from the Limerick Regeneration Agencies and Limerick City Council, has allowed the complex to continue to operate. However, the board of management has recently reported that the sports complex has serious health and safety issues which, it is estimated, require immediate capital funding of €455,000 to resolve. Such an injection of capital funding will not resolve the wider issue that the ageing sports complex cannot compete with other facilities in the area and therefore has little prospect of an income stream that can meet running costs.
The stark reality is that this is a 40-year-old facility. It is estimated that a complete renovation could cost up to €3.5 million, while a new build to replace the entire existing complex would cost an estimated €10 million. The priority of the Department of Education and Skills must be to channel available funds to front-line educational services. The Department has been in contact, and will continue this engagement, with the board of management of St Enda's community school, the Limerick Regeneration Agencies and Limerick City Council on the future of the sports complex.
Breda Deedigan
Posted on 31 Jan 2011 11:55 am (Report this comment)
response to Minister Sean Connick's reply on behalf of the Tanaiste and Minister for Education and Science, I would like to make the following points.
1)There was no major investment in the complex, despite several million allocated to the School. The Department failed to see regardless of the fact that 300,000 children on the Island of Ireland are obese, that the complex provided a vital classroom and Physical Education should be regarded with the same importance on the curriculum, as any subject.Not only for the health of the children, which should be a priority but for strategically planning for the future for cost savings to the health system for the Department.
2) Despite professional architects reports going to the department since 1974, no remedial work on the centre was carried out. The written responses from the department at the time referred always to the lack of funding available. It necessitated the closing for two years of the indoor sports hall and for many years of the outside all-weather pitch, leading to the loss of crucial income opportunities
3) When the complex did reach break even, funding just stopped completely, not only from the department but from City Council, without investment, the complex could not compete.
4) Despite the fact of investment being highlighted locally on an ongoing basis, funding was not available. it was only when this was also confirmed by an outside contractor employed by the School Board of Management that the decision was made to close the complex, 15/20 years to late.
5) The complex provided a vital community service not only to the children in the school, but to 24 other schools, and many, many local community groups and corporate entities. When St. Endas closed it was the end of an era, but it could have been so easily avoided.