Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1078. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects to publish the promised review of the national sports policy; his plans to reintroduce the local authority swimming pool programme as part of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24825/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am pleased to confirm that, following a substantial consultation and drafting process, the new National Sports Policy will be considered by Government in the coming weeks and will, I anticipate, be published in July.

As previously advised to the House, the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP) provides grant aid to local authorities towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. There are four swimming pool projects in the current LASPP and the priority in 2018 is on progressing these projects.

In relation to the future funding of swimming pools, the position remains that the upcoming National Sports Policy will include a specific focus on how Government should fund sports facilities, including swimming pools, in the years ahead.