Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the fact that children from a school (details supplied) in County Dublin are unable to use facilities at the National Aquatic Centre due to structural inadequacies in the design of the building which make it difficult for people with severe disabilities to access its facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35346/05]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Aquatic Centre at Abbotstown is unable to facilitate students with a severe disability from a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; if a disability access audit has been undertaken by Campus and Stadium Ireland Limited; if this report will be published; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that there is a dispute between Campus and Stadium Ireland Limited and Dublin Waterworld Limited regarding the responsibility for facilitating people with a severe disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35597/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together.

The National Aquatic Centre was designed and built in accordance with the prescribed building regulations and to the highest standards. In this regard, Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Limited, CSID, consulted the National Disability Authority and Special Olympics Ireland during the design and build stages of the project in order to ensure that the new facility would meet the requirements of disabled persons using the facility.

CSID is anxious that the National Aquatic Centre is accessible to everyone and is making every effort to ensure that this target is achieved. Over the past year, in response to the comments of one group of users, CSID sought to have an improved accessibility at the centre, particularly with regard to people with a severe disability. To this end, an access audit of the centre was undertaken by appropriate experts. This audit has now been completed and found that accessibility to the centre is good. The report of the audit group has been forwarded by CSID to the contract administrators of the centre, as well as to the architects who designed the centre and the Equality Authority. The intention is that a list of improvements would be agreed with the operators and these improvements would be put in place as quickly as possible.

The Deputy is aware that the day-to-day operation of the National Aquatic Centre is the responsibility of Dublin Waterworld Limited, the holders of the lease on the centre and that this contractual arrangement is currently the subject of a court case.