Written answers

Tuesday, 5 October 2021

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Swimming Pools

Photo of Duncan SmithDuncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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21. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will increase funding for the provision of public swimming pools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43947/21]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Previously, Government support for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools was provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). 52 pools have been completed under the LASPP and three swimming pool projects (Lucan, Buncrana and Edenderry) remain in the programme with the Lucan project currently under construction.

My Department's capital support for any new swimming pools is now being provided through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The National Development Plan provided a capital allocation of at least €100m for the Fund over the period to 2027.

The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published Evaluation Procedures and Guidelines and the first allocations were announced in January 2020. Thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals. These initial allocations include funding for 8 swimming pool projects as follows:

1. Laois: Portarlington Leisure Centre Swimming Pool

2. Sligo: Waterpoint Aqua Park

3. Kilkenny: The Watershed Development,

4. Limerick: Askeaton Pool and Leisure

5. Wicklow: Wicklow Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre

6. Louth: Dundalk Leisure Centre

8. Galway: Galway Regional Aquatic & Fitness Centre

9. Dublin: Samuel Beckett Civic Campus Phase 2

The priority in the short term is to advance all LSSIF projects including these swimming pools to construction stage.

In relation to future swimming pool funding, my Department is currently undertaking a review of progress on all existing LSSIF grants. As part of this review, my Department is also considering the timing of any new call for proposals and it is expected that the review will be completed in the coming months. In addition, the National Sports Policy commits to the development of a National Swimming Strategy. As part of this, there will be a review of swimming pool provision to identify where gaps exist and how these can be met. Furthermore, a Sports Action Plan, covering the period to end 2023 will be published shortly. It is envisaged that the development of a national swimming strategy will be significantly progressed as a priority action in that plan, with the aim of completing the strategy in early 2022. The outcome of these reviews will be fully considered when deciding on the future funding provision for swimming pools.

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