Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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234. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of grant applications he has received for swimming pool builds or repair or maintenance for 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24859/13]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme was closed to new applicants on 31 July 2000. However, In 2011 I announced a Disabled Assess/Energy Upgrade initiative which enabled local authorities to apply for funding to improve disabled access and/or improve energy efficiency in respect of swimming pools. In 2011 a total of €10.94m was allocated to 33 local authorities in respect of 56 swimming pools. 

In 2012 there were a further 20 allocations to 13 local authorities which had not benefited from funding in 2011 - either at all or to the maximum amount available - due to a number of factors including: the necessity to scale back or abandon projects due to an inability to meet the original deadline for drawdown of funding, or by applying under the wrong scheme.  Such local authorities were given a chance to re-apply for funding, and there was also one new application for funding. Consequently 20 further allocations were made under this initiative in 2012 to the 13 local authorities who applied/re-applied in 2012 in respect of 20 pools. Ultimately, every local authority which was able to comply with the terms of the programme was able to receive funding under this initiative. This initiative is now closed and there have been no applications in 2013.