John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1344. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason Wicklow County Council was not successful in their funding application under the LSSIF to develop a swimming pool in west Wicklow, despite an underspend in this budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42194/25]

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 (LSSIF) which has allocated €28.9 million to date to 9 swimming pool projects. This includes funding support for a swimming pool project in County Wicklow, the ‘Wicklow Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre’ at Station Road, Wicklow Town.

Wicklow County Council submitted applications under both the 2018 and 2024 rounds of the LSSIF for the development of a swimming pool in Blessington. The 2018 application sought design funding, while the 2024 application sought funding towards a 'Swimming Pool Build'. In both rounds of LSSIF, all applications were assessed in accordance with the published scoring criteria. The total amount of funding sought under the 2018 and 2024 rounds of the LSSIF substantially exceeded the resources available for allocation. Following a comprehensive assessment process, the development of a swimming pool in Blessington project did not achieve the requisite criteria to qualify for grant support under either round of the scheme.

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 is shared across Government Departments, State Agencies and other key stakeholders, including local authorities. Sport Ireland has recently 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.

My current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF, 2018 and 2024, and this process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round. The timing will also be considered in the context of the determining the detailed spending allocations within my Department under the National Development Plan as recently agreed by Government.