Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this issue. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism must answer questions as to why the National Aquatic Centre pool at Abbotstown, which has cost the taxpayer more than €60 million so far, is off-limits to people with a severe physical disability, including the children of Scoil Mochua in Clondalkin, a school that caters for severely disabled children.

I have a number of questions for the Taoiseach and the Minister. First, is it true that doors and other access points to the pool centre are too narrow to permit access for people with severe physical disability? Second, will the Minister publish the disability access audit recently carried out which identifies the access problems of the centre? Third, how much will it cost to make the centre fully accessible and how long will it take to do the work? Fourth, whose responsibility is this work? Is it the responsibility of the Government company, Campus Stadium Ireland Development, the architect who designed the complex, or the centre's management company, Dublin Waterworld Limited?

It appears that the children of Scoil Mochua and other people with a severe disability are victims of gross ineptitude on the part of Government. The centre was designed for the Special Olympics and was supposed to be a world class, state-of-the art facility. It is unbelievable that €60 million plus of taxpayers' money could have been spent on a pool, opened for the Special Olympics, which fails to meet fundamental disability access criteria.

In most other jurisdictions a Minister responsible for this kind of fiasco would do the honourable thing and resign. Let us remember that this the centre whose roof blew off in a storm, where water has been leaking, where an almighty legal row continues and off-side arrangements with regard to the centre are costing taxpayers up to €9 million a year in tax breaks. In any other jurisdiction the Minister responsible would resign, but instead the children of Scoil Mochua and other severely physically disabled people are faced with a Mexican stand-off between Campus Stadium Ireland and the pool's management company.

The pool's management company, Dublin Waterworld Limited, claimed to have installed a hoist and lift for disabled access, but these are not fully useable because of access and design flaws such as narrow doors and the position of the plant equipment. It is over to the Taoiseach and the Minister to sort out this sorry saga.

Swimming is part of the curriculum of Scoil Mochua. The Minister may not be aware, but Stewart's Hospital, St. Raphael's in Celbridge and Cheeverstown on the south side — all in the vicinity of Abbotstown — have smaller pools which are very important facilities. Although those pools were built years ago at a fraction of the cost of this world class facility at Abbotstown, they provide access for disabled people.

I hope the Minister of State will throw some light on this continuing shambles. I think we will wake up one day to find that the National Aquatic Centre has literally drained away. Part of it has already blown away and water is dripping out of it. It is a pity it is such a shambles because it should be a key facility.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Burton is aware of the facts of this matter. On 22 November last, she received a full answer to two parliamentary questions which she had submitted on this issue. She had already received a letter from Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited outlining the circumstances of this case and giving details of the facilities which are available at the National Aquatic Centre. It has been explained to the Deputy that the centre was designed and built in accordance with the prescribed building regulations and to the highest standards.

Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited has confirmed that all requirements under disability legislation were met when the facility was being developed. The company consulted Special Olympics Ireland and all the other relevant interest groups during the project's design and build stages to ensure that the new facility would meet the requirements of disabled persons using it. Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited has always tried to ensure that the National Aquatic Centre is accessible to everyone. As the landlord of the centre, the company's driving motivation at all times has been to ensure that this ambition is fulfilled. I assure the House, on behalf of the Government, that the National Aquatic Centre's facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. They can be and are regularly used by such people.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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What about the pupils of Scoil Mochua?

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is public knowledge that the National Aquatic Centre was honoured at the O2 ability awards in February 2005 for the customer service it gives to the disabled community.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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What about Scoil Mochua?

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The centre has received public acclamation and reward. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, is aware that some people with severe disabilities have concerns about their use of the centre's facilities.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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They cannot access the facilities.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister is anxious to ensure that access to the centre's splendid facilities is available to everyone, he has asked the board of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited to investigate whether further work can be done to meet the requirements of the people in question. At the Minister's direction, the company has undertaken a process in recent months that will lead to improved accessibility at the centre for people with severe disabilities.

The company arranged for experts to carry out an audit of access to the centre. The Deputy will be interested to learn that the report of the audit, which has been completed, stated: "Accessibility to the centre is good."

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Will the Government publish the report?

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The audit report has been forwarded for consideration to Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited's contract administrators, the architects who designed the centre and the Equality Authority.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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When will it be published?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will adjourn the House immediately if the Deputy continues to interrupt the Minister of State.

Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is intended that a list of further improvements will be agreed with the operators, to be put in place as quickly as possible. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, who is responsible for putting a state-of-the-art aquatic centre in place at Abbotstown, has made an unprecedented level of investment in sports facilities throughout the country. The National Aquatic Centre has drawn well deserved admiration from those who have visited it and used its facilities.

We heard complaints for many years about this country's lack of proper sporting infrastructure. The Government has made a tangible contribution in this field since 1997 by providing for capital investment in sports facilities of more than €600 million. The Government developed the National Aquatic Centre to provide a 50-metre pool for Ireland's needs and specifically to provide a suitable location for the aquatic events of the Special Olympics World Summer Games, which was achieved to universal acclaim.

This wonderful facility provides a fantastic service to Deputy Burton's constituents, who are fortunate enough to have it on their doorsteps. Almost 1 million people visited the centre in its first year of operations, making it one of the top attractions in Ireland. It will continue to be a leading facility because it is planned to make its service even better by improving the facility further. Particular emphasis will be placed on providing the best possible service to people with disabilities, so that they can use it to the same extent as everyone else who enjoys the aquatic centre.