Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Oct 1996

Vol. 469 No. 6

Written Answers. - Swimming Pools.

Michael Bell

Question:

82 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment the number and locations of swimming pools under public ownership; the size of each pool; the average cost of operation of each pool; the way in which each pool is financed; the proposals, if any, that have been submitted to his Department for grant aid for the building of any larger pools; if so, the estimated cost and proposed location; the funding, if any, that is available from his Department or any other Department or agency, national or international, for the provision of normal or international size pools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16215/96]

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin)

I propose to circulate in the Official Report, a tabular statement setting out the number, location and size of all local authority swimming pools in the country. The operation and maintenance of these pools are funded by local authorities from their own resources. Details of actual local authority expenditure on swimming pools in their administrative areas are published in Returns of Local Taxation, of which 1993 is the most recent publication. The 1994 edition will be available shortly. In addition, information on local authority estimated expenditure on swimming pools for 1996 is published in Local Authority Estimates. Copies of both publications are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Capital funding is provided by my Department for standard six-lane pools — generally 25 metres x 9 metres — provided by local authorities or by voluntary bodies in co-operation with local authorities. There are no current proposals before my Department for larger pools. My Department pays up to 80 per cent of the approved cost of a new pool and up to 100 per cent of approved refurbishment cost. My Department also provides funding of up to 80 per cent of the cost of certain ancillary facilities in new pools and as part of the refurbishment of existing pools.

There is a provision of £2.5 million in my Department's Vote for 1996 for the construction and refurbishment of swimming pools. This provision is fully committed to projects under construction or fully approved and on which work is expected to commence later this year.

I understand that the Department of Education has provided funding for a limited number of public swimming pools under its major sports capital programme. Proposals for the provision of an international size, i.e. 50 metre, pool are a matter for that Department.

Local Authority Swimming Pools.

Local Authority	Location	Size
County Councils
Carlow County Council	Muinebheag	25 metres*
Cavan County Council	Drumalee	25 metres
Clare County Council	Ennis	25 metres
Cork County Council	Dunmanway	25 metres
Donegal County Council	Ballyshannon	25 metres
South Dublin County Council	Clondalkin	25 metres
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council	MonkstownDún Laoghaire	25 metres27 metres
	Blackrock (closed)	50 metres*
Galway County Council	Tuam	25 metres
Kildare County Council	Naas	25 metres
	Athy	25 metres
	Newbridge (closed)	25 metres*
Laois County Council	Portlaoise	25 metres
	Portarlington	25 metres
	Ballinakill	36 metres*
Leitrim County Council	Drumshanbo	15 metres
Longford County Council	Longford Town	25 metres
Mayo County Council	Ballina	25 metres
	Ballyhaunis	25 metres*
	Castlebar	25 metres
	Claremorris	25 metres
Meath County Council	Trim	25 metres
	Kells	25 metres
	Navan (closed)	25 metres
Roscommon County Council	Roscommon Town	25 metres
	Castlerea	35 metres
Tipperary (North Riding) County Council	BorrisokaneBallina	12 metres*25 metres*
Tipperary (South Riding) County Council	Tipperary Town (closed)	25 metres
Westmeath County Council	Mullingar Town	25 metres
County Borough Corporations
Cork Corporation	Churchfield	25 metres
	Douglas	25 metres
Dublin Corporation	Townsend Street	25 metres
	Crumlin	25 metres
	Coolock	25 metres
	Ballyfermot	25 metres
	Ballymun	25 metres
	Finglas	25 metres
	Sean McDermott Street	25 metres
	Rathmines	25 metres
Galway Corporation	Salthill	25 metres
Limerick Corporation	Roxboro	25 metres
Borough Corporations
Clonmel Corporation	Emmet Street, Clonmel	25 metres
Drogheda Corporation	Rathmullen, Drogheda	25 metres
Kilkenny Corporation	Greensbridge, Kilkenny	25 metres
Sligo Corporation	Cleveragh Pool, Sligo	25 metres
Wexford Corporation	Ferrybank, Wexford	25 metres
Urban District Councils
Arklow UDC	Ferrybank, Arklow	33 metres*
Athlone UDC	Retreat Road, Athlone	25 metres
Ballina UDC	Ballina	25 metres
Ballinasloe UDC	Cleaghmore, Ballinasloe	25 metres
Bundoran UDC	Bundoran (2 pools)	24 metres
Cobh UDC	Carrignafoy (closed)	25 metres
Fermoy UDC	Fermoy Park	25 metres
Letterkenny UDC	High Road, Letterkenny	25 metres
Mallow UDC	New Road, Mallow (closed)	25 metres
Monaghan UDC	Clones Road, Monaghan	25 metres
Nenagh UDC	Dublin Road, Nenagh	25 metres
New Ross UDC	Barrack Lane, New Ross	25 metres
Templemore UDC	Town Park, Templemore	28 metres
Thurles UDC	Cathedral Street, Thurles	25 metres
Tralee UDC	Clounalour, Tralee	25 metres
Tullamore UDC	Cloncollog, Tullamore	33 metres*

*Outdoor Pool.