£45m plan for swimming pool development

Up to 30 public pools in varying degrees of disrepair have been invited to apply for funding under a £45 million development plan announced yesterday.

The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, said such pools would receive £10 million in grant-aid each year until 2003. A further £5 million would be provided each year for the construction of new pools.

It compares with a budget this year of £3 million for pool refurbishment and building work.

The initiative follows the announcement last month of a £5.95 million grant for the construction of the Republic's first 50-metre swimming pool in Limerick.

The 30 pools in need of repair were identified by the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management which was commissioned to carry out a survey of the State's 54 indoor and 12 outdoor local authority pools. One-third of the 30 were located in Dublin. The oldest was Glenalbyn in Stillorgan, Dublin, built in 1966, the newest Castlebar in Co Mayo, built in 1981.

To qualify for a grant, a pool must apply to its local authority with detailed development plans. Up to 100 per cent grant aid is available for refurbishment projects, up to 80 per cent for new swimming pools.

Dr McDaid said the programme would target areas of greatest need, noting "the type, level and quality of public swimming pool facilities that were provided and accepted in the 1970s and 1980s are now no longer acceptable as we face into a new millennium".

An estimated half-million Irish people participate in swimming, making it the second most popular form of physical activity after walking.

Over the past decade, a total of £13 million has been spent on pool refurbishments with work continuing at pools in Monaghan, Waterford and Arklow, Co Wicklow. Further refurbishment work is due to start in Roscommon next year.

In the same period, £11 million has been committed to new pools, three of which are being constructed at Wicklow, Navan, Co Meath, and Ennis, Co Clare. A fourth in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, is near completion. Proposals are at an advanced stage for another pool in Dundalk, Co Louth, and construction is due to begin next year.

The other 28 pools identified as in need of major refurbishment are: Douglas, Churchfield and Dunmanway in Co Cork; Clondalkin, Dundrum, Crumlin, Coolock, Ballyfermot, Ballymun, Finglas, Sean MacDermott Street and Rathmines in Dublin; Tuam and Cleaghmore, Ballinasloe, in Co Galway; Naas and Athy in Co Kildare; Portlaoise and Portarlington in Co Laois; Claremorris in Co Mayo; Trim and Kells in Co Meath; Roxboro in Limerick; Longford town; Rathmullen in Drogheda, Co Louth; Greensbridge in Kilkenny, Ferrybank in Wexford, Cathedral Street in Thurles, Co Tipperary, and Clounalour in Tralee, Co Kerry.