Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if she plans to support the local authority swimming pool programme [13844/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, operated by the Department, provides grant aid to a maximum of €3.8m to local authorities towards the capital cost of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools, subject in both cases to the total grant not exceeding 80% of the eligible cost of the project or, in the case of projects located in disadvantaged areas, 90% of the eligible cost.

Where a project is being undertaken by an organisation other than a local authority, the proposal must be considered, supported and submitted by the local authority. Before supporting such a project, the local authority would have to be satisfied that the proposal is viable, that the balance of funding required to complete the project is available and that the project when completed would have a suitable level of public access.

Proposals must comply with the standards set out in the Department's "Procedures for the Planning, Approval and Financing of Swimming Pools and Technical Guidelines". Under the Guidelines, there are four principal stages in a swimming pool project: Preliminary Report (including Feasibility Study); Contract Documents; Tender and finally Construction. Local authorities may not proceed to the next stage of a project until prior approval issues from the Department. The Department's technical advisors, the Office of Public Works (OPW), evaluates each stage. Grant-aid is allocated only when tenders have been approved for the project and the amount is capped at the time of allocation.

Under the current programme, 45 pools have been opened throughout the country and twelve other projects are at various stages of the Programme. Of the 45 pools completed and opened under the current round, 14 are new pools, 21 are replacement pools and 10 are refurbishments. The 12 remaining pools at various stages in the process consist of 4 new pools, 4 replacements pools and 4 refurbishments.

The total expenditure of €142.7m under the Programme from 2000 to the end of 2009 leveraged a total investment of some €400m in swimming pools throughout the country.

The allocation of €7.5m in 2010 will be sufficient to meet commitments arising in 2010 under the current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. No decision has been taken on the timing of a new round of the Programme.