Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to talk about an issue I have spoken about before, which is, how we use our public amenities. There is a swimming pool complex in Dunmanway that unfortunately lies idle half the time. This is a huge issue for our society. We put €5 million into a complex and have it open between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days a week. It is run by the local authority. I was there last week and one of the big issues is that it is not open at weekends. Where is the joined-up thinking here?

There is an issue about how we provide access to swimming and swimming lessons for the public. We all have kids, we all have the opportunity to teach them to swim. In some locations people are waiting two years to get lessons. If one has a situation where a pool that is owned by the State only runs at half capacity, it is frustrating. It makes no sense.

The big debate is about how we are going to move this issue forward. Firstly, we have an issue about how a local authority manages its assets. Secondly, we need to look at providing public pools. We need to have a programme about providing public pools. We have seen major work regarding sports capital grants putting money into sports clubs. We should have a debate in this Chamber with the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media about pools and how he believes the vision needs to be changed on providing those public pools. The biggest town in west Cork is Bandon. There is no pool in the town. If one wants one's kids to have lessons in Bandon tomorrow morning one will be waiting for up to two years. That is not good enough. We need to have a vision, a change. I ask that we invite the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, in here to ask him what his vision is regarding providing access to water and water safety, and in particular providing public pools for those among the general public who want access.