Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To conclude my opening response to the question, Swim Ireland plans to purchase one such pool to allow swimming lessons to be taught onsite at schools, with an overall aim of providing children with the opportunity to gain life-saving swimming skills, particularly in areas not well served by swimming pool access. If successful, the scheme could be extended by the provision of additional container pools, something on which we will engage further with Swim Ireland.

As I said, we have identified a national swimming strategy as a key priority in the national sports policy and the sports action plan we published this summer. As part of that, we want to underpin the people who will deliver these programmes while addressing the deficits in certain parts of the country in regard to capital infrastructure and swimming pools, which the Deputy highlighted. Ongoing capital schemes are open to clubs and organisations.

I know the Deputy lives in Fingal along the sea. There is great interest in sea swimming. Particularly during Covid, there was a significant increase in sea swimming while the use of pools was restricted. It is open to any club to apply under the sports capital programme for equipment, and funding schemes are available through local authorities.

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