Jimmy Deenihan
Question:1 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education the present position on the provision of a 50 metre swimming pool; the intended location; the date on which work will commence; and the projected cost.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Olympic Swimming Pool.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:54 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if he will list the submissions which he has received concerning the provision and management of an Olympic swimming pool; and when he intends to make a decision to approve one of these submissions.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 54 together. My Department have invited proposals from interested parties for the provision of a site and for the design, construction, financing and management of a national 50-metre swimming pool complex. A project brief was issued to 25 applicants on 2 October 1992 with a view to the submission of proposals by 30 November 1992 and issues arising from the brief are currently being clarified for applicants. No submissions have as yet been received. A decision on submissions received will be taken as soon as the evaluation process has been completed. In the circumstances, I am not in a position at this stage to say when construction work might commence or what the projected cost would be. I do not propose to list the applicants for the design brief in the interests of confidentiality.
Will the proposal the Minister has in mind include a ten lane 50-metre swimming pool together with a 25-metre warm up pool, a diving pool and spectator accommodation? Can the Minister indicate the desired site for this pool? Will provision be made in the Estimates, which will be published shortly, for the project?
I cannot indicate a site to the Deputy because the invitations to the various promoters suggest that they would propose a site. That competition is well under way at the moment and there is a large number of submissions already coming into the Department. The brief called for the successful promoter to identify a site and to identify a form of funding to provide a national, full Olympic sized swimming pool with all that that implies. Once that process is complete we will be able to announce how we are proceeding. In the advertisement we indicated that lottery funding would be available towards the cost of the project. The amount of the funding will be detemined only after we receive the proposals. Basically we are asking people to tell us how much State funding they require in order to permit the project to work.
I have one final question.
I am calling Question No. 2 and it will be responded to.
That is very unfair.