John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of an application for funding in the name of Kilkenny Borough Council to provide a new swimming pool and sports complex; the cost of the project and the maximum grant available; the way in which local authorities are expected to raise the balance; the timeframe for a decision in the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9663/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Kilkenny County Council has applied for funding under the local authority swimming pool programme in respect of a proposed replacement swimming pool for Kilkenny. I am pleased to say that I have today approved the preliminary report submitted by the council and this will allow it to prepare the contract documents for the project.

My Department has been advised that the cost of the project is estimated at just over €15 million. The maximum grant available under the programme is €3.8 million. Grant aid is not formally allocated until the tender has been approved for a project.

It is a matter for local authorities to devise funding arrangements, as they see fit, to complement the grant element. Approval for projects in 2005 will depend on a range of factors, including funding available in the Department's subhead for the local authority swimming pool programme, the availability of project financing in the local authority and compliance with technical and procedural requirements at each of the various stages of the process.