Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport if she will provide the sources of funding to ensure that swimming pools in the Dublin area (details supplied) can be kept open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27257/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The question of the operation and management of swimming pools, including advertising, is entirely a matter for Dublin City Council. Under the terms of the current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, operated by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport 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 current round of the programme closed to applicants on 31 July 2000.

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 almost €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.

The funding which is available to the Department relates to meeting the capital cost of either a new build or refurbishment of swimming pools. Under the terms of the programme local authorities must meet the costs of normal maintenance and the annual operational costs of swimming pools from their own resources. I have suggested to the Dublin City Manager that in the light of the new pools which have recently been developed and which have the potential to generate funds, perhaps the Council will be able to increase its subsidy to the pools at Coolock, Sean Mac Dermott Street and Crumlin so that these facilities can continue to be available to the residents in these areas.