asked the Minister for Education if he will consider requesting school authorities in the Dublin area with swimming facilities to allow city children other than their own pupils to share these facilities, because of the fact that in the whole of Dublin there are only two public swimming pools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin School Swimming Facilities.
34.
Mr. O'Leary
Where there are swimming pools attached to schools, these are private property and it is therefore for the authorities of the schools to decide the use to be made of them.
Where school swimming facilities have been provided with financial aid from the local authorities, that authority may specify that the grant is conditional on these facilities being made available to swimming clubs and other interested parties as far as would be reasonable. I am advised that in such cases satisfactory arrangements for access by children other than pupils of the school are in operation.
Is the Minister aware there is a secondary school under construction in his own constituency in which there is provision for a modern swimming pool? Would the Minister accept the responsibility of making recommendations to the authorities concerned on the lines indicated in Deputy O'Leary's question?
If the Deputy is referring to the school to which I think he is referring, I understand representations have already been made to the school authorities and they have decided they do not want to open the pool to people outside the school. The financial assistance, therefore, they will get is substantially reduced.