Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the number of pools that were grant aided under the local authorities swimming pool initiative; the number of applications that were received for this scheme; if all of the funding available was spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33487/11]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I recently announced an initiative under the local authority swimming pool programme for a combined grant of up to €400,000 per pool to enable local authorities to improve energy efficiency and enhance access for disabled people to swimming pools. Some 40 local authorities applied for funding for 63 swimming pools and three rounds of allocations were announced, on 28 August 2011, 19 October 2011 and 25 October 2011, respectively. A total of €10.67 million was allocated to 33 local authorities in respect of 56 pools. The names of the individual pools that are being funded are published on my Department's website.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and the grant aid we received towards our swimming pool in Youghal. Any grant of sports capital funding is more than welcome in the fight against obesity in children and adults. Was funding made available for all of these projects and, if not, how many were refused and on what grounds?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy McLellan for tabling this question because there was misinformation in the national and local media in regard to the applications. We received applications for 63 swimming pools and allocated funding for 56. In regard to the reasons the remaining seven pools did not get funding, some of the local authorities were offered funding by the Department under the jobs initiative but they were not able to draw down the funds by the end of the year and two local authorities recently received funding under the previous scheme. Given that every application would have received money, when Labour Party and Fianna Fáil councillors in Dublin make statements in future they might get their facts right. Every local authority could have been funded under this scheme but some of them could not draw down the funding on time or were funded under the previous scheme.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Will the moneys remaining in the fund be ring-fenced for swimming pools and is it intended to accept another round of applications when this is open to the public?

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We have not made a decision in regard to another round. Any funding allocated thus far has to be drawn down by the end of the year. We will give further consideration to the schemes to be brought forward next year and we are announcing our capital programme tomorrow. I cannot say anything more in that regard.

The local authority swimming pool programme provided opportunities to build swimming pools in various areas. As the major cost that local authorities face in respect of swimming pools is the heating bill, facilitating energy saving measures and wheelchair accessibility will be a godsend to local authorities. The Government and local authorities would benefit from the savings achieved on heating swimming pools. For now, I hope the pools that have received money will have the work completed by the end of the year. It is major investment and it is also part of the stimulus budget to create employment. Some of the councils expected me to give money to local authorities that did not make applications. We cannot do that. If they do not make an application, they cannot get funding.