andMr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Local Government when it is intended to build the swimming pool on the site purchased by Rathmines Urban District Council for that purpose about 50 years ago.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rathmines Swimming Pool.
64.
While I understand that Dublin Corporation intend to provide a swimming pool in Rathmines, there is no specific proposal in the matter before my Department and I am not, accordingly, in a position to say when a pool will be built there.
The City Commissioner and the City Manager told the Deputies of this constituency that the pool will not be built this year, meaning 1971. I take it that it will be built in 1972. I assume the Minister has some information on this. His reply this evening has been reasonably polite unlike a reply he gave on another occasion. According to the Minister, a swimming pool is being built in Tubbercurry——
We cannot discuss every swimming pool in the country on this question.
I do not recollect having mentioned Tubbercurry.
Unlike other Deputies, I do not take up very much of the time of the House at Question Time.
The Deputy takes up most of it.
Deputy Power has just got an answer to four questions in one sentence. This site in Rathmines was purchased by the Rathmines Urban District Council more than 50 years ago. Part of it is now being used as a car park. Why should Tubbercurry, with a population of 1,500, have a swimming pool while the Rathmines area, with a population of 10,000, should not have any?
The question is: why is Tubbercurry to have a swimming pool while Rathmines is not to have one?
That is it.
It is news to me that Tubbercurry is to have a swimming pool.
The Minister said so here a few weeks ago.
I have no recollection of saying that. As usual, Deputy O'Donovan's information is half-cocked.
I am sure the Minister said it here and if he has a bad memory I can do nothing about it. The Minister may be fond of swimming but he is not in the swim.
The Deputy is well aware that it was the Coalition Government who turned down a swimming pool for Rathmines in 1956.
Deputy O'Donovan will never live that one down.
Why is Tubbercurry——
Are we discussing Tubbercurry or Rathmines?
Has nothing been put to the Minister's Department since 1956 in connection with a swimming pool for Rathmines?
I should like to help the Deputy if I could. I should like to see a swimming pool in Rathmines and also in all other large centres of population. The programme for the provision of swimming pools in Dublin is very satisfactory. This programme was adopted in 1967 when it was proposed to build swimming pools in nine centres. These were to be at Townsend St., Crumlin, Finglas, Cabra, Coolock, Ballymun, Ballyfermot, Rathmines and in the Rathfarnham-Terenure area. Some of these pools are already in operation. These are at Townsend Street, Coolock and Crumlin. A loan of £100,000 for the Ballyfermot pool has been sanctioned. Tenders are at present under examination by the corporation in respect of the Finglas pool and of the remaining four I want to tell the Deputy that Ballymun is next on the priority list.
I am grateful to the Minister for that information but may I ask why Ballymun which only occurred very recently is being given preference over the Rathmines area where a site was purchased 50 years ago?
The priorities in these matters are decided by the corporation and they send the proposals to me and, provided the planning, design and location are acceptable, I accept the priorities as determined by the corporation.
I am delighted to hear this and I will get after the corporation, as the Minister calls them. Since there are only two people involved now, it would be very easy to catch up with them and I shall make life very difficult for them.
The Deputy should not be threatening public servants.