The Minister for Tourism and Sport, Deputy McDaid, announced the provision of a 50 metre pool for Ireland last week. Roscommon is surrounded by rivers and lakes yet there is no proper swimming pool in the county. Sports facilities generally are inadequate and there is no cinema in the county. People are travelling up to 60 miles to swim.
The Roscommon town pool has been closed for the past month due to lack of funding, although an application for funding is on the Minister's desk. The pool is in a very poor condition. There is mould on the walls, the sewage is washing back up through the pipes and the changing facilities are very poor. Funding is immediately needed. The local sub-aqua club, who do tremendous search and rescue work, use the pool for training. That work is important as the rivers Shannon and Suck run through Roscommon. They now have to train in Ballinasloe, over 30 miles away, because the pool is closed. This is a voluntary organisation which is poorly funded, and it is very costly for its members to travel to train.
Immediate funding is also required for a new pool to be built in Ballaghaderreen, which is ideally suited for tourism. There are several tourist attractions nearby and it is on the main road to Castlebar. However, there is no confidence in the north Roscommon area; there is not even a hotel in Ballaghaderreen. There is a large hinterland around the town, and it is equidistant from Boyle and Castlerea, the other major towns in the area. There are no facilities for this region of Roscommon, which borders Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim. Over 800 second level students attend the local school and there is a great need for a pool in the area.
It is a disgrace that a county surrounded by water does not have a swimming pool. It is also a disgrace that the Government is to fund a 50 metre pool without funding 25 metre pools adequately. The Minister should approve these applications urgently and ensure that this work is done as soon as possible.