Swimming pool grants
Deputy Andrews questioned why luxury Dublin hotels received swimming pool grants while public pools remain closed or under-maintained. The Minister said he would ask the responsible Minister to reply, while agreeing that public pools are important for health and wellbeing.
Yesterday, there was a welcome announcement by Sport Ireland and Ireland Active relating to swimming pool operators across the country. However, I was taken aback to see the five-star hotels in Dublin Bay South, such as the Merrion Hotel, the InterContinental Dublin hotel in Ballsbridge and the Marker Hotel Dublin, where annual membership is €1,500 and no children are allowed, received large grants for their pools. Seán McDermott Street swimming pool has been closed for nearly three years and Marian College swimming pool is closed for maintenance as a result of maintenance cost issues. How do exclusive hotels such as these qualify for State funding? Surely the qualifying factor for funding for Sport Ireland should be accessibility for the local community. Can the Minister intervene and ensure this does not happen?
Comment on this
I will have to ask the Minister responsible to revert to the Deputy. I agree with his basic thesis. Public pools provide a huge benefit for our health and mental well-being and many other benefits. The more accessible public pools we have the better and we should support them. I will ask the Minister to answer the specific questions the Deputy asked.