Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if she will ring-fence funds from the National Lottery for swimming pools; if she is committed to the maintenance of local authority swimming pools in Dublin; if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties surrounding a pool (details supplied) in Dublin 12; if she will safeguard its future and allocate badly needed funding to this community pool; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16195/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, operated by my Department, grant aid to a maximum of €3.8m is provided to Local Authorities, towards the capital cost of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. The question of the operation and management of local authority swimming pools is entirely a matter for the local authority i.e. Dublin City Council. The current round of the programme closed to applicants on 31 July 2000. No application was received from Dublin City Council on behalf of the pool in question at that time.

Under the programme, 45 pools have been opened throughout the country with a further 12 pools at various stages of development. Between 1998 and 2009 a sum of almost €143m has been spent under the programme. This has leveraged a total investment of some €400m in swimming pools throughout the country. In the administrative area of Dublin City Council, new pools have been opened in Finglas, Ballyfermot, St. Michael`s House (Belcamp Lane Dublin), Ballymun and work is underway on a new pool at Rathmines.

No decision has been taken on the timing of a new round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. When a new round of the Programme is launched it will be open to all Local Authorities, including Dublin City Council to submit an application on behalf of the pool in question under the terms that will apply.