The Government, in line with the commitment given in the joint programme, An Action Plan for the Millennium, decided in November 1997 to initiate a tender procedure to invite proposals for a national 50 metre swimming pool. The tender procedure is being conducted in accordance with EU Council Directive 93/37/EEC, concerning the co-ordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts. A project team was established by the Department to assist with the preparation of invitation to tender documentation and to oversee the tendering process. This team comprises representatives of a number of Departments and other organisations.
The tender procedure notice for the project was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities and in the Irish media in January 1998, and was open to both the public and private sectors. Developers were requested to come forward with proposals for the design, construction, financing and management of a 50 metre swimming pool, capable of meeting the training requirements of Ireland's high-performance swimmers for international competition. Such developers were required to demonstrate that they had the necessary financial status, technical knowledge and experience to undertake the development.
The Government have agreed to provide capital assistance, up to a maximum of £6 million, and annual operational assistance up to a maximum of £250,000, for a maximum period of 20 years, towards the cost of implementation of the successful tender. The deadline for submission of full tenders from qualified candidates was 27 November 1998, and three tender proposals were received on that date. Two tender proposals, one with a location in Dublin and the other in Limerick, were deemed by the project team on the advice of independent professional consultants, to have met the qualification criteria and these proposals have proceeded to the evaluation and assessment phase of the project. The third tenderer was disqualified on the basis of its ineligibility in terms of its compatibility with a fundamental element of the tender framework: the capital grant limits.