Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps his Department is taking to expand accessible municipal and publicly owned swimming pool facilities across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64388/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy, published in August 2024, sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. The public consultation that informed the development of the Strategy suggested that existing swimming pool stock is insufficient and, as a result, a key focus of the Strategy is on providing improved facilities.

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, with a particular focus on identifying gaps in provision. Swim Ireland will publish a report on its analysis in the coming period, and this report will be central to the future development of swimming pool facilities in Ireland.

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. 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.

Capital support for new swimming pools, and the refurbishment of existing pools, continues to be provided by my Department through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund which, to date, has allocated €28.9 million to nine swimming pool projects.