Vol. 523 No. 2
201 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation if he will arrange to have the application for funding for Graiguecullen swimming pool further processed in view of the submission to his Department by Carlow County Council in support of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20851/00]
Under the provisions of the swimming pool programme administered by my Department, a project being proposed by an organisation other than a local authority must be submitted in the first instance to the relevant local authority in order to obtain their support.
Accordingly, my Department will only consider an application for funding in the case of such a project if the application is submitted via the relevant local authority. Before supporting an application, the local authority would have to be satisfied that the proposal is viable, that the balance of funding required to complete the project is available and that the project, when completed, will have a satisfactory level of access available to the general public. My Department's technical advisers would, in turn, also have to be satisfied that the pool meets the minimum standards set out in the programme's guidelines.
My Department has received no such submission from Carlow County Council in respect of the Graiguecullen swimming pool. The closing date for receipt of swimming pool programme applications this year was 31 July 2000.
An application for funding to refurbish the Graiguecullen swimming pool, which was made under the 2000 sports capital programme, also administered by my Department, was found to be outside the terms and conditions of that programme. The promoters were advised that the application was unsuccessful.
