Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the cost of the annual subsidy to the Aquatic Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31502/07]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the subsidy per swim undertaken during 2007 in the National Aquatic Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31532/07]

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of swims provided in 2007 in the National Aquatic Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31533/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 7 and 22 together.

Deputies will be aware the statutorily based National Sports Campus Development Authority has taken over the role and function of Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited since 1 January 2007 and that a fully-owned subsidiary of the authority, NSCDA (Operations) Limited, is now operating the National Aquatic Centre.

In order to provide commentary on the present trading and performance position it is necessary first to fill in the background. It will be recalled that the National Aquatic Centre was the first facility to be built as part of the sports campus at Abbotstown and opened in 2003. This was achieved on time and within budget. Shortly afterwards it successfully hosted the swimming events of the Special Olympics world summer games and the European Short Course Championships.

During 2005, CSID Ltd. initiated legal proceedings against Dublin Waterworld Limited, the private operators of the centre, because of the latter's failure to comply with its obligations under the lease. In November last, the Supreme Court confirmed an earlier order for possession of the centre in favour of CSID, and the facility was handed back to CSID on 1 December. Since then a primary objective has been to carry out a full "health check" on the centre and restore it to its original working standard. To this effect, to end of August last approximately €600,000 has been expended on remediation work, and that part of the work is now almost completed.

As the centre has reverted to the effective control of the authority by way of the above subsidiary company only within the last 12 months, a first full year's trading has yet to be completed. The issue of providing assistance for the operation of the National Aquatic Centre from a trading perspective, on an ongoing basis, is one that is being kept under ongoing consideration by the authority as the first year's trading has proceeded. However, preliminary indications at this stage are that a subsidy of up to €1.8 million will be required to fund the operational costs of the centre in 2007. At end year the outturn will be reviewed by the authority in the context of results of the first full year's trading and I have requested the authority to endeavour to reach a policy objective of at least break even in operating costs at the centre. At present approval for new funding has been given by the authority for €1.2 million capital works only.

In overall terms, I am advised that there have been more than 532,000 visits to the NAC, that is, in terms of the categories of swimming access, swimming lessons and membership, since the centre reverted to the overall control of the authority. This is regarded as a satisfactory base from which it can continue to grow.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am dumbstruck by that information. I understand that is a very fine facility. It was always envisaged that it would be self-financing having had €70 million spent on it. We now find that in its first year of operation it will require a subsidy of almost €2 million. Is funding available from this year's Estimates to pay for it? How will the deficit be made up? Will a blank cheque be given to the organisation? Will it simply advise the Minister what its deficit is at the end of every year? Will it be linked to performance? Will it be linked to the number of swims it provides? Does the Minister agree the facility is costing money and is not performing as anticipated in part because it is a stand-alone facility whereas it was intended to be part of a major campus on which virtually no progress has been made over 11 years?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed that the centre requires a subsidy. I am strongly of the view that it should reach break even at the very least and that the taxpayer should not be required to provide ongoing current subsidies to it. It is one thing to invest the capital, but it is another thing for the taxpayer to be drawn into day-to-day subsidies, which unfortunately we have been to the tune of €1.8 million, which represents the loss in running the centre in 2007. On the other hand in the calendar year there were 532,000 visits, which is a very high base on which to build. As I said in my reply it played a central role in the Special Olympics World Games and other events. There is much on which to build for the future. I do not want to tolerate an ongoing annual subsidy. I want to get to the situation where at the very least it breaks even and preferably is profitable. If we work on these numbers and keep the management pressure up, we can turn it around.

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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I refer to the answer to my previous question in which the Minister said that €54 million was allocated to the Irish Sports Council in 2007 and the overall budget for sport in 2007 was €295 million. While we certainly welcome that investment, much of it was given to capital projects. We need to consider value for money. With the additional subsidy to the aquatic centre, when does the Minister expect it to reach break even? For how long will the taxpayer continue to support the centre? It is a considerable drain given that a commitment should be going into other sporting activities. One would have hoped it would have reached break even by now.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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This is the first year of an operational subsidy. I have made clear to the centre and do so again that the €1.8 million must be a once-off subsidy for this year. It must get itself to at least break even. I am totally opposed to getting involved in current day-to-day subsidies for operational facilities which should be able to break even at least. I want to examine the matter more closely to understand how I can bring that about.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The only way to resolve the issue is by maximising usage and getting value for money for the investment that has been made. However, that will only happen by increasing the footfall on the site, which will only happen if the rest of the campus is constructed. Who is driving that project? I understand the post of chief executive officer was advertised last May. Surely even the slowest recruitment process would yield somebody to run the campus. Without a CEO nobody will drive the project which is why it is sitting there year in and year out with nothing happening. We now have the aquatic centre open and losing money. It will continue to lose money until something happens on the site, which is remote.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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It is being led by the National Sports Campus Development Authority.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Who is leading the authority?

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A procedure is ongoing to recruit a chief executive.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It has been going on for eight months.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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It has been going on for longer than I would have liked. I hope it can be brought to a conclusion in the not too distant future. Arrangements have been made to have a professional management put in place. In the meantime a former civil servant is involved in it directly. As part of phase 1, next week the FAI headquarters will open there. We have asked the board to review what should be contained in phase 2 and to make a proposal on the content.