Vol. 521 No. 2
161 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation when a decision will be made on the application from Thurles Urban District Council for the refurbishment of the local swimming pool which has gone into serious disrepair; the amount of the grant sought; to confirm that the application from the UDC has been with his Department for a number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16882/00]
Thurles Urban District Council submitted a preliminary proposal to refurbish Thurles swimming pool to the Department of the Environment and Local Government in 1994. The proposal did not proceed due to insufficient funding being available. In May 1998, responsibility for administration of the swimming pool programme transferred to my Department.
Last year, my Department commissioned ILAM, (Ireland), to prepare a report on the condition of local authority pools built between 1966 and 1981. Thirty pools, including the pool in Thurles, were identified as being in need of refurbishment.
Following my announcement of a £45 million funding package for the swimming pool programme 2000-2002 my Department wrote to Thurles UDC and invited them to update their proposal. The council submitted revised documentation last April and my Department is currently awaiting clarification from the council on a number of issues raised by our technical advisers during their examination of this documentation. Further consideration will be given to this proposal on receipt of the clarification sought.
