Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if there is a local contribution being sought towards a project (details supplied) in County Mayo; the amount of money being sought; and if any of this money has been collected. [24718/07]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on increasing the amount of grant aid awarded towards the refurbishment of a facility (details supplied) in County Mayo. [24719/07]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the shortfall between money allocated by his Department towards the refurbishment of a facility (details supplied) in County Mayo and the cost of the works. [24720/07]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the cost of the proposed refurbishment works for a facility (details supplied) in County Mayo. [24721/07]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of grant aid that has been awarded towards the refurbishment of a facility (details supplied) in County Mayo. [24722/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 to 361, inclusive, together.

Under the terms of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme grant aid is provided by my Department to local authorities towards the capital costs of a new or replacement public swimming pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. The Programme provides for a maximum grant of €3.8million.

Under the terms of the programme, there are four stages in developing a swimming pool project. These, in order of progress, are: Feasibility Study/Preliminary Report; Contract Documents; Tender and Construction and a project may not proceed from one stage to the next without prior Ministerial approval. Grant aid is formally allocated when the tender for the project is approved and the local authority must demonstrate to my Department that the balance of funding required to complete the project is available before I can approve the tender.

The Preliminary Report submitted by Mayo County Council in respect of the proposed replacement swimming pool project in Castlebar, was approved by my predecessor in April, 2005 and this allowed Mayo County Council to prepare the Contract Documents for the project. The Preliminary Report showed that the indicative cost of the project at that time was in the region of €9m with various funding arrangements, in addition to the grant, being considered by the Council. The detailed costings for the project and the associated funding arrangements will have to be addressed in detail by the Council in the course of the preparation of the Contract Documents which are awaited by my Department.