Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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479. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he will provide the funding to rebuild the Buncrana Leisure Centre, County. Donegal; if he is aware of the serious impact on the community of 40,000 people living in Inishowen, from the closure of this key community amenity for over a decade. [32022/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Capital support for new swimming pools, and the refurbishment of existing pools, is provided by my Department through the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, which to date has allocated €28.9 million to 9 swimming pool projects.

In 2024, the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) received an unprecedented demand for funding, amounting to €665 million from 96 applications. In parallel, funding towards design costs was allocated to the leisure centre project in Buncrana. This was done given the strategic importance of developing swimming pool infrastructure, in line with the National Swimming Strategy. The Department is progressing the drawdown of this funding with the Council.

Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy was published in August 2024 and it sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. The Working Group tasked with developing the Strategy consisted of representatives from my Department, Swim Ireland, Sport Ireland, Active Disability Ireland, Ireland Active and the local authorities.

The resultant Strategy includes an Action Plan containing over 50 actions across five thematic strands, focusing on providing improved facilities, increasing access for people with disabilities, improving the culture of inclusion, better coaching supports, increasing safety awareness and providing a pathway that allows for the nurturing and development of potential high performers.

The public consultation that informed the development of the National Swimming Strategy suggested that existing swimming pool stock is insufficient and, as a result, a key focus of the Strategy is on providing improved facilities. There is a specific action in the strategy to complete an in-depth analysis of swimming pool provision within Ireland with particular reference to identifying gaps in provision. Swim Ireland, the National Governing Body for swimming, is currently undertaking an analysis of the type and nature of swimming pool ownership in the country and will publish a report in this regard in the coming period. This report will be central to the future development of swimming pool facilities.

In support of the Strategy, additional funding of €500,000 was provided to Swim Ireland in 2024 for the deployment of swimming activators to work within local authority areas, focusing on increasing participation amongst under-represented groups and improving coaching supports and facilities. This additional funding will also be provided in 2025 and 2026 – totalling €1.5 million over three years.

Responsibility for the delivery of the Strategy’s Action Plan will be shared across Government Departments, State Agencies and other key stakeholders, including local authorities. In the coming period, Sport Ireland has established an oversight group of key stakeholders to give leadership, policy direction, prioritisation and mobilisation of resources to support, monitor and measure the Strategy’s implementation.