asked the Minister for Education the assistance his Department will give towards the provision of a public swimming pool in the grounds of Carndonagh Community School, County Donegal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Swimming Pool.
44.
Mr. R. Burke
There are no funds available to my Department from which financial assistance might be paid towards the provision of public swimming pools.
I am prepared, however, to make a site available at the new community school at Carndonagh to any group who may wish to provide a pool.
Will the Minister not take another look at the demands of schools already commenced and those to be commenced with a view to providing within the grounds of these schools this very necessary amenity? The provision of this amenity could be done more cheaply, I think, in this way rather than by other organisations or bodies.
Mr. R. Burke
I will certainly see to it that a site is made available in community schools. The community schools at Blanchardstown and Tallaght, the comprehensive school at Blackrock, County Dublin, the community school in Limerick city and the new post-primary school in Athlone all have provided sites for such a facility. I would not be prepared to shoulder, and neither would my Department be geared towards the provision of swimming pools as such.
Might I suggest to the Minister that he should consider this further suggestion in regard to this matter: particularly in provincial towns and in rural centres in which large new schools are being built the Department or the school boards which are set up would be the best placed people to operate a public amenity such as this and whether, in addition to providing the site for such an amenity as a swimming pool, he would give full consideration to the idea that these pools, whether they be provided by the Department or by others, should be run by the boards running the schools and controlled by them as the most suitably placed people to do this?
That is a long statement, not a question.
Did I understand the Minister clearly to say he has no funds available?
Mr. R. Burke
It might soon be——
Would it not be possible these days for a swimming pool to be regarded as a necessary part of a school complex—as part of school assembly? If that is so, could the Minister not provide departmental funds for school swimming pools?
Mr. R. Burke
I will undertake to have the matters raised by the Deputies investigated. At present the provision of swimming pools is a matter for the local authorities.
That is in the case of public swimming pools.