Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the application for funding for the swimming pools (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24271/04]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the local authority swimming pool programme, there are four principal stages in a swimming pool project. These, in order of progress, are feasibility study and preliminary report, contract documents, tender and construction. My Department's technical advisers, the Office of Public Works, evaluate each stage and local authorities cannot proceed to the next stage of a project unless prior approval issues from my Department. Grant aid is not allocated until the tenders have been approved for a project.

The maximum grant available under the programme is €3.8 million, which is available towards either the refurbishment of existing pools or the provision of new pools, subject in both cases to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or, in the case of projects located in disadvantaged areas, 90% of the eligible cost. The local authority must provide the balance of the financing directly or in a combination of local authority funding, community group financing, private sector etc.

Where a project is being undertaken by an organisation other than a local authority, the proposal must be considered, supported and submitted by the relevant local authority. Before supporting a project, the local authority must be satisfied that the proposal is viable, that the balance of funding required to complete the project is available and that the project, when completed, would have a satisfactory level of public access.

Projects are considered on a case-by-case basis and consideration is given to such issues as to whether the area is classified as disadvantaged, the number and geographical spread of projects within and between counties, the viability of the project, particularly in operational and maintenance issues, overall funding package for the project, technical details and the Department's annual Estimates provision for the programme.

Offaly County Council applied for grant aid for the refurbishment of the swimming pools in Birr and Clara, the replacement of the outdoor pool in Tullamore and the provision of a new pool in Edenderry. These four proposals are at the initial stage of the process described above and it is a matter for the county council to advance these projects further by identifying its priorities in the development of swimming pools in the county.