Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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308. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the expected timeline to finalise the national swimming strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4701/23]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Both the National Sports Policy 2018 -2027 and the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023commit to the development and implementation of a National Swimming Strategy. The Strategy will be the first of its kind in Ireland and will be based on a vision to ‘provide everyone in Ireland with an opportunity to swim’.

The Working Group tasked with the detailed work of preparing the strategy is chaired by my Department and will hold its sixth meeting on 31 January. An extensive consultation process has been undertaken with both stakeholders and the wider public and work on the analysis of the very large number of responses received, to ensure that the Strategy encompasses all of the issues raised and views expressed to the greatest extent possible, is now drawing to a close.

Whilst it is difficult to be precise about the exact timeframe for the delivery of the Strategy, the Working Group is due to finalise the structure of the Strategy document shortly with a view to publishing same in Q2 of this year.