Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the swimming pool capital projects; the funding available and the maximum funding in each individual case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25786/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, €184 million has been allocated for the provision of public swimming pools under the local authority swimming pool programme. The programme provides grant aid towards the capital costs of new public swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing public pools provided by local authorities themselves or by other bodies where the application for capital funding is supported by the local authority. In 2007, the subhead provision for this programme is €25 million and this amount is expected to be spent by the end of 2007.

There are four principal stages which must be undertaken by a local authority in developing a swimming pool project. These are preliminary report, including a feasibility study; contract documents; tender stage; and finally construction stage. Local authorities may not proceed to the next stage of a project until prior approval issues from my Department. Grant aid is formally allocated when the tender is approved. The Department's technical advisers, the Office of Public Works, evaluates each stage.

The current round of the programme, which has been closed to new applicants since July 2000, provides for maximum grant aid of €3.8 million per project and the policy since 2000 has been to give priority to the completion of the 57 projects within the round. Of these 57 projects, 28 have been completed and 14 are under construction or about to start construction, all of which have been grant-aided. Some 15 other projects are at various stages of the programme, with three at tender stage, eight at contract documents stage and four at preliminary report stage. For the information of the Deputy and the House, I propose to circulate with the Official Report details of where each of the 57 projects fits within the programme.

Additional information not give on the floor of the House.

Cumulative grant expenditure under the programme from 2000 to the end of this year is anticipated to be €108 million and this grant aid has leveraged total investment of €327 million in public swimming pool facilities. Currently my Department is completing a value-for-money and policy review report of the local authority swimming pool programme. The report is examining, among other matters, how the programme has worked to date and what changes, if any, are required to ensure its effective and efficient delivery.

The report is currently being finalised and it is my intention to publish it as soon as possible. Following consideration of the recommendations in the report, it is my intention to launch a new round of the local authority swimming pool programme. When the programme is re-opened, it will be open to all local authorities to submit applications under the terms that will apply.

Status of individual swimming pool projects under the current round (closed 31 July, 2000) of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme

PROJECTS COMPLETED (28)

Arklow (Refurbish) — official opening January 2000

Courtown/Gorey (New) — opened October 2001

Dundalk (New) — official opening March 2002

Ennis (New) — official opening September 2003

Enniscorthy (New) — official opening January 2000

Monaghan (Refurbish) — re-entered programme for replacement

Navan (New) — official opening August 2000

Wicklow (New) — (Sept 99) official opening June 2001

Roscommon (Refurbish) — official opening April 2002

AquaDome, Tralee (Refurbish) — opened 2003

Ballinasloe (Replace) — official opening October 2003

Finglas, Dublin (Replace) — opened April 04

Grove Island, Limerick (New) — opened June 04

Sports and Leisure Centre, Tralee (Refurbish) — opened July 04

Clonmel (Refurbish) — opened December 04

Churchfield, Cork City (Refurbish) — official opening June 05

Ballymun, Dublin City (Replace) — opened June 05

Tuam, Co Galway (Replace) — opened Sept 05

Drogheda, Co Louth (Replace) -opened May 2006

Monaghan town (Replace) — opened 19 August 2006

Cobh, Co Cork (Replace) — opened 30 August 2006

Youghal, Co Cork (New) — opened 18 September 2006

Jobstown, South County Dublin (New) — opened 13 November 2006

Ballybunion, Co Kerry (New) — June 2007

Birr, Co. Offaly (Refurbish) — opened 7 July 2007

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal (Replace) — opened 9 July 2007

Askeaton, Co. Limerick (Replace outdoor pool) — opened 4 August 2007

Longford, Co.Longford (Replace) — opened 7 September 2007

UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR ABOUT TO START CONSTRUCTION (14)

Ballyfermot, Dublin City (Replace)

Clondalkin, South County Dublin (Replace)

Killarney, Co Kerry (New)

Portlaoise, Co. Laois (Replace)

Portarlington, Co. Laois (Refurbish)

Thurles, Co Tipperary (Replace)

St Michael's House, Dublin (New)

Athy, Co. Kildare (Replace

Naas, Co. Kildare (Replace)

Kilkenny City (Replace)

Tullamore, Co. Offaly (Replace outdoor pool)

Bray, Co. Wicklow (Replace)

Greystones, Co. Wicklow ( New)

St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys (Refurbish)

OUT TO TENDER (3)

Claremorris, Co. Mayo (Replacement)

Roscrea, Tipperary, NR (New)

Dundrum, Co. Dublin (Replace)

PREPARING CONTRACT DOCUMENTS (8)

Skerries, Fingal (New)

New Ross, Co. Wexford (Replace)

Buncrana, Co. Donegal (Refurbish)

Glenalbyn, Co. Dublin (Refurbish)

Castlebar, Co. Mayo (Replace)

Dunmanway, Co. Cork (Refurbish)

Ferrybank, Co. Wexford (Refurbish)

Ballybofey, Co. Donegal (New)

PRELIMINARY REPORT STAGE (4)

Edenderry, Co. Offaly (Replace)

Clara, Co. Offaly (Refurbish)

Ballaghadereen, Co. Roscommon (New)

Loughrea, Co. Galway (New)

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I know the Minister is fairly familiar with the swimming pool programme for a variety of reasons. As he rightly pointed out, the last round closed for applications in 2000. It is on the national primary school curriculum that every child should have swimming lessons, so to have to wait seven or eight years or even longer to even apply for the scheme clearly shows the problems with it.

The maximum amount available is €3.8 million but the average payment out of the allocated money is less than €2 million per pool. A pool costs about €10 million to build, so the cap is too low and too little is allocated. The timescale is far too long. How can it be that a scheme which closed in 2000 still has not re-opened, despite a significant need? Even with the pools around the country, many must virtually be levelled and started over again.

There is a major problem that must be considered. How can it be that it has taken seven years to deal with 57 projects? I cannot remember how much has been spent on these projects but I know €184 million is allocated for the next seven years. How much of the money allocated for the next seven years will go to applications from the last seven years? There is clearly not enough money if there is an overhang, and the applications made in 2000 still have not been dealt with as we head to 2008. The Minister must look at the problem.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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There is €25 million in the 2007 subhead, which will be spent in 2007. I take the Deputy's point. There are 57 projects either completed, open, under construction, out to tender or at contract document stage, so there has been significant activity in this area. Considerable funds have been invested by the taxpayer.

Two things will now happen. My Department is to complete a value-for-money policy review of the entire programme which will examine how the programme has worked to date and what changes, if any, are required. The report is currently being finalised and I intend to publish it as soon as possible. Following consideration of that report it is my intention to launch a new round of the local authorities swimming pool programme. I am not in a position to put a date on that yet. The National Development Plan 2007-2013 provides €184 towards swimming pool projects, which is quite considerable.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister know what is the overhang of the schemes which applied in 2000? How many still have to draw down the money provided by the original round?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Some $25 million will be provided in 2007, the main overhang as the Deputy called it, in the sense that the money available in 2007 will be used to finish the 57 projects.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It will clear them.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As far as I know that will finish the 57 projects.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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That will be all of the phases.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Of the 57, 28 are completed and open. Some 14 are under construction and three are out to tender. The €25 million is available in the Estimates this year to complete the 14 under construction and deal with those out to tender. If the Deputy is concerned the new allocation of €184 will be eaten into by the old programme, I do not believe it will. I will check that again.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The money allocated to each project is far too little, as the Minister knows.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We must move on as these are Priority Questions.