COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

MOTION NO 12

MOTION: Councillor D. Keating

That the Manager would present a detailed report for discussion on the long-awaited and planned Swimming Pool for the Lucan area. In the light of years of effort and representations by the Lucan community and Lucan Public Representatives, including many Motions passed by the Council and Area Committees in pursuit of this water leisure facility, and the Manager's efforts to provide a Swimming Pool for Lucan, that the Manager would report on his most recent efforts and discussions with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Department's response to our most recent request for funding through the Swimming Pool Programme, and what alternative initiatives, including possible joint ventures can be explored to deliver a Lucan Swimming Pool.

REPORT:

The Lucan Sports and Leisure Centre is included in the Council’s 3 year Rolling Capital Programme under the category “projects planned”

The Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport has not yet formally indicated to the Council when it expects to re-open its swimming pool programme which has been closed since July 2000.

The Department of the Environment by circular letter LG /03/ 08 dated 2/4/08 required each Local Authority to carry out a comprehensive audit of all arts, community and sports facilities within its area, this audit has been completed and returned to the Department.

The Community Department has embarked on this route to assist in the wider exercise of putting in place a more strategic approach to provision of facilities generally and ensure the development of necessary sports facilities throughout the country.

In the meantime, the Community Department has forwarded to the Department its Water Leisure Strategy Review to support the Council’s strategic view in this County.

The Council is committed to providing this facility for the people of Lucan and surrounding areas and will do so in conjunction with receiving the necessary support from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport and subject also to the necessary capital funding being sourced.

Following any announcement of the re-opening of the Swimming Pool Programme the Community Department will review likely costs and sources of funding with regard to the project. In this regard the Department has stated that "No decision has been taken on the timing of a new round of the programme".

In addition there may be further financial challenges with regard to funding (Revenue and Capital) going forward which may negatively impact on the Council’s infrastructural programmes.

It will be necessary to await developments and clarifications regarding these challenges before fully assessing this project further.

Community Department is committed to the provision of a swimming pool in Lucan but can only do so within the resources available. So far, we have not been able to identify any alternative sources of finance to fund this project.

The proposals submitted by the developers for the provision of a Sports and Aquatic Centre at Adamstown are still under active active consideration and discussion with the relevant Council officials.  A meeting between the developers and the relevant Council officials took place earlier in the Summer. Following that meeting, the developers undertook to do some further research on the matter.

The options open to the Council in this case are as outlined in this report and, in the present circumstances, it is not possible to surmise when these options might change.