Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when a swimming pool for the Leixlip, Maynooth and Celbridge areas will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18172/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The closing date for receipt of applications under the current round of the local authority swimming pool programme was 31 July 2000 and Kildare County Council did not apply for grant aid for pool projects in Leixlip, Maynooth or Celbridge.

The priority to now has been to support the 55 projects that applied for funding. Of these 55 projects, 25 have been allocated grant aid. Fifteen of these have been completed and ten are at construction stage. The remaining 30 projects, which include two projects in County Kildare — Naas and Athy — are at various stages in the process: six are at tender stage, 15 are at contract documents stage and nine are at preliminary report stage.

The question of re-opening the programme will be considered following an expenditure review of the programme which is being carried out by my Department and which is expected to be completed later this year. The review is examining issues such as how the programme has worked to date, the benefits which have accrued to the areas where pools have been built and what amendments, if any, are required to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the programme.