COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 11, 2021

QUESTION NO. 18

QUESTION: Councillor Eoin Ó Broin

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on how it has come to pass that the booms are broken in both SDCC Swimming Pools, and what measures are in place to have them fixed as soon as possible.

REPLY:

Tallaght swimming pool was originally designed in two sections to support facilitate optimum access by young children, older persons and people with mobility issues through a boom mechanism that creates a shallow 8 metre pool alongside the larger pool.  The boom can also be lowered to create one larger pool but the management company’s advice and experience based on operating the pool for many years is that the overwhelming majority of users are amply accommodated with the divided pool set-up.  Consequently, when the boom mechanism was damaged a number of years ago, in the context of inspection reports by pool maintenance experts who advised that the damage to the boom would incur considerable repair costs without any guarantee, and that the boom type is no longer being manufactured, a decision was taken to leave the pool settings as they were rather than spend either €150-€200k on repair or €500k+ on installing a new boom.  This decision was made based on the management company’s view that the dual main goals of providing ample facilities to allow all ages and abilities of people to learn how to swim, and to provide the general public with a pool for exercise were still being met by the facility.  This was also in the context of the Clondalkin swimming pool providing facilities for 25-meter swimming for clubs/advanced swimmers.  Unfortunately, there have been intermittent maintenance issues with the boom at Clondalkin pool, with oil found to be leaking into the pool tank in 2020 requiring replacement of four small hoses containing hydraulic fluid.   However, due to lockdown, associated travel restrictions and workload, the specialist contractor who is based in the UK could not travel to carry out the necessary repair works until August 2021 at which stage the hoses were replaced.  During subsequent testing of the boom, it was found that small hydraulic control valves had become blocked by congealed fluid and had to be replaced.  These parts are on order since August 2021 with a normal lead-in time of approximately 12 weeks, but this has also been affected by wider supply chain issues.  The disruption and inconvenience to the facility users is of course regrettable but the parts are due to be delivered in the coming weeks and the contractor will ensure that they are installed as quickly as possible thereafter.

There is provision in the Council’s capital programme for upgrade work to both facilities and this will include an assessment of the issues outlined above in the context of the available budget.