Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he plans to launch the next round of the local authority swimming pool programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8531/09]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will open a new round of the local authority swimming pool programme before the current round of projects are completed in line with the recommendations of the value for money and policy review report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8579/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 59 together.

Because of the current budgetary constraints, it is not intended to launch a new round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme at this time. The matter will be reviewed again later this year.

A total of 57 applications were received under the current round of the Programme, of which 40 projects have been completed and opened to the public, 6 are under construction and eleven other projects are at various stages of the Programme — 1 is preparing tender documents, 7 are preparing contract documents and 3 are preparing preliminary reports. The priority now is to work with the relevant local authorities in completing the remaining 17 pool projects, which are included in the current round.

Since 2000 to end of December 2008 total expenditure under the current round of the programme has been €131m and this will leverage investment of €385.5m in respect of 46 pools. A sum of €14m has been provided for 2009 to support existing projects.

The Department has completed and published a Value for Money and Policy Review Report of the Local Authority Swimming Pools Programme. The Report examined, among other things, how the programme has worked to date and what changes, if any, are required to ensure its effective and efficient delivery. The terms and conditions of any new round of the Programme will be devised taking into account the recommendations of the Report. When the Programme is re-opened, it will be open to all local authorities to submit applications under the terms that will apply.