David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I come from one of the fastest growing towns in the country, Midleton in east Cork. Recently, there was a feasibility study carried out on the need for a swimming pool in the area. Part of the problem is trying to find a site. Part of the problem is to get the local authority to buy-in to it. The population growth is projected to be significant. There is a local group established to put this forward but it is running into all kinds of obstacles. Can the Minister of State offer them any assistance, guidance or advice as to how they can proceed with the putting in place of a swimming pool in a large area which is to grow significantly in the next number of years in the two instances of finding a site and encouraging the local authority to support it as well, which is crucial?

That comes back to my original point that if one cannot find land and if the land is not zoned for it, one cannot go ahead and do anything. We need a national statement from the Minister of State on this matter directing local authorities to be proactive in this regard.

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