Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1368. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress made in implementing the National Swimming Strategy; the number and location of pools or swimming facilities approved for investment to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43391/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. It 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 National Swimming 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 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.

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, with a Lucan project currently under construction.

Capital support for new swimming pools, and the refurbishment of existing pools, is now provided by my Department through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The LSSIF was established to provide support for larger sports facility projects, typically those requiring investments greater than the maximum available under the Community Sport Facilities Fund. The LSSIF has allocated €28.9 million to 9 swimming pool projects. Details of these allocations are available on the Department's website under the following links: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif-2024/, and www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/services/large-scale-sport-infrastructure-fund-lssif-2018/. Furthermore, funding of up to €2 million was provided towards the design costs of the leisure centre project in Buncrana and and for Mullingar Regional Sports Complex, both of which have swimming pools at their core. The current focus is on ensuring project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF, 2018 and 2024.

Under the 2023 round of the Community Sports Facilities Fund, a total of over €1.5 million was allocated to 40 swimming projects in 2024.