Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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117. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Government has any intention of providing a public swimming pool in Loughrea, Galway (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39264/24]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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115. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Government has any intention of providing a public swimming pool in Loughrea, Galway (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39265/24]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 115 together.

My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Community Sport Facilities Fund (formerly the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

Earlier this year, Minister Martin and I announced funding of up to €120 million under the new 2024 round of the LSSIF, which closed for applications on 1 July 2024. New swimming pool projects and the refurbishment of existing swimming pools were eligible to apply for grant funding under LSSIF 2024 subject to published guidelines and conditions of the scheme.

It should be noted that no application was received by the Department under LSSIF 2024 for a swimming pool in Loughrea.

While the very high level of demand for this second round of the LSSIF strongly suggests that a future round will be required, any decisions on the timing of such a round will depend on the funding available and the pace of drawdown from rounds 1 and 2.