Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the provision of a swimming pool for Castlebar County Mayo; when this project will be put to tender; when a contract will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23693/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, there are four stages in the development of a public swimming pool project. These are, in order of progress, Feasibility Study/Preliminary Report, Contract Documents, Tender and Construction. My Department's technical advisors, the Office of Public Works (OPW), evaluate each stage and prior approval is required before local authorities can proceed from one stage to the next. Grant aid is formally allocated when the tender for the project is approved.

I approved the Preliminary Report for the replacement public pool in Castlebar in April 2005, thus allowing Mayo County Council to prepare Contract Documents for the project. These documents are awaited. It should be noted that progress of projects under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme is largely determined, not by my Department, but by the speed at which individual Local Authorities progress their projects.