Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Mar 1998

Vol. 489 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Swimming Pool Projects.

Mr. Stanton

I hope I will be able to convince the Minister of State, a fellow Corkman who is well aware of the situation in Cobh, that the case I am about to make has merit and that action should be taken to ensure a swimming pool is provided in east Cork. As he is well aware, Cork is the largest county in Ireland and Cobh is the largest town in the county. According to the 1996 census, the population of the Cobh Urban District Council area is 6,500. The population of the rural part of the island is 2,000, giving a total population of 8,500.

On the question of running costs, I understand the findings of a feasibility study have been forwarded to the Department. They demonstrate that the project would be self-financing. To be self-financing a swimming pool has to be located in an area with a large population. East Cork includes the towns of Midleton and Youghal and, according to the 1996 census, has a population of more than 41,000. There is a great need for a public swimming pool in the area. Following the opening of the magnificent new road earlier this year, Midleton is less than 20 minutes drive from Cobh. People living in Crosshaven and Carrigaline on the opposite side of the harbour can travel to Cobh with great ease via the cross river ferry.

The old swimming pool in Cobh was closed to the public in 1991 because of safety considerations. Planning for the new pool commenced in that year and there have been ongoing discussions and negotiations with the Department since. All the relevant documentation was finally submitted last October.

The people of Cobh are not asking the Department to fund the total cost of the project. A site has been provided and over £350,000 is in the bank. The proposed site is adjacent to most of the schools in the town. It is also planned to provide a gymnasium. This means the facility would be used to the maximum extent by schoolchildren during the day and the wider community in the evening and at weekends. This would ensure maximum value for money.

I am sure the Minister of State will agree our young people need to be involved in as many physical activities as possible to ensure a healthy lifestyle, enhance their self-esteem and provide alternatives to drugs and crime. Investment in swimming pools and sport in general will, in the long run, help to reduce the need for investment in prisons. Millions of pounds have been spent on Spike Island prison which the young people of Cobh can see across the harbour. All they ask is that a fraction of this be spent on a swimming pool in Cobh. The law-abiding deserve the same treatment as the law-breakers. The people of Cobh and east Cork have waited long enough. I hope the Minister of State will look favourably on my request and take action as soon as possible.

Mr. D. Wallace

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and apologise on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey, who is unable to be present and has asked me to reply on his behalf.

The Department pays grants of up to 100 per cent of the approved cost of refurbishing existing swimming pools and up to 80 per cent of the approved cost of new pools, with the remainder being funded by local contribution. To qualify for a grant the proposal must comply with the standards set out in the Department's Procedures for the Planning, Approval and Financing of Swimming Pools and Technical Guidelines. The Department will also consider grant-aiding up to 80 per cent of the cost of modest ancillary facilities such as saunas, steam rooms as part of a proposal.

The commitment of funds to a particular project can only be considered when the project design has been approved and the local authority is in a position to accept the tender. The overall allocation for the swimming pool programme and the competing demands of other swimming pool projects for the available funds must be taken into account.

The provision for the swimming pool programme in 1998 is £4 million which is fully committed to projects under construction or which have been fully approved by the Department and on which work is expected to commence later this year. These projects will give rise to spending commitments of £3.7 million in 1999. The Department has over £44 million worth of projects at various stages of planning which will be competing for funding in coming years.

The swimming pool in Cobh which was built in 1975 had developed serious problems by 1985. A report commissioned by the local authority recommended that substantial works be carried out on the pool plant and also highlighted building problems such as corrosion of the pre-cast concrete frame and leaking from the flat roof areas. The pool was closed to the public in 1991 and since then has suffered the effects of vandalism.

In 1994 Cobh Urban District Council invited proposals from interested parties for the redevelopment and operation of the swimming pool. No suitable proposal emerged from this exercise. In 1995 the council decided to undertake the refurbishment of the pool and engaged consultants to ascertain the full extent of the works required. The consultants' report, which was accepted by the council, recommended the total demolition of the pool building and the development of a new complex on the same site.

Preliminary proposals for the Cobh swimming pool project were approved by the Department in July 1996 at an estimated cost of £1.71 million. Cobh Urban District Council subsequently submitted contract documents to the Department in October 1997. These are under examination by the Department's inspectorate. The current estimated cost of the project is £2.3 million, requiring grant aid of approximately £1.84 million from the Department if it is to proceed. The balance, approximately £460,000, is to be met by way of local contribution.

The question of an actual commitment to this or any other swimming pool project would not normally fall to be considered until contract documents and, subsequently, tenders have been approved by the Department. Having regard to the high level of demand for funding for swimming pools and the limited funds available, it is not possible to indicate when funding will be available for this project.