Funding is provided by my Department to local authorities towards the capital costs of a new or replacement public swimming pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool under the terms of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. This Programme is funded from Subhead C2 of my Department's Vote, where the provision for 2007 is €25m. The Programme provides for a maximum grant of €3.8million and there are four stages in the development of a swimming pool project. These are, in order of progress, Feasibility Study/ Preliminary Report; Contract Documents; Tender and Construction. Grant aid is formally allocated when the tender for the project is approved.
The current round of the Programme closed to applicants on 31 July 2000. Of the 57 projects within the current round, 41 projects have been approved grant aid, of which 23 have been funded and completed. The remaining 18 projects that are under construction or due to start construction shortly will continue to draw down their grant allocation in during 2007 and beyond. 3 projects are out to tender and are likely to seek formal grant approval in 2007. The remaining 13 projects are at earlier stages in the approval process of the programme.
The drawdown of moneys under the programme depends on the speed at which local authorities press ahead with projects and submit grant drawdown claims.