Swimming pools will benefit from Covid-19 grant scheme
By Aimee Walsh
A €706,000 funding boost has been announced for swimming pools across the country in the second phase of the Covid-19 swimming pool grant scheme, reports Aimee Walsh.
The €2.5m funding scheme was announced as part of the July Stimulus package and aims to help public swimming pools respond to the challenge associated with maintaining swimming pools and the effort to open within Covid-19 restrictions.
Tallaght Leisure Centre
The current Level 5 restrictions cause uncertainty for swimming pool operators, as the pools currently remain closed.
Ireland Active and Swim Ireland were appointed by Sport Ireland to administer the scheme. As part of the scheme, numerous public swimming pools across South County Dublin received funding.
In Tallaght, Westpark Fitness received a further €2,924 bringing the total funding to €13,749. Tallaght Leisure Centre received €3,435, bringing the total to €16,149 and Tallaght Community Sports School Complex were funded €2,321, totalling to €10,912. Club Vitae in the Maldron Hotel Tallaght received €1,833, bringing the total to €8,620.
Other pools across the county such as Gym Plus Rathfarnham, Stewarts Sports Centre, Templeogue College, Coolmine Sports Complex, Crumlin Swimming Pool, Club Vitae Liffey Valley, Clondalkin Leisure Centre and Butterfield Wellness Centre all received further funding in the second phase of the scheme.
Clondalkin Leisure Centre
Speaking about the grant scheme, Chief Executive of Sport Ireland John Treacy said: “The high cost of maintaining pools while closed and the difficulty of reopening at reduced capacity is acknowledged by the Government and Sport Ireland. We are working with Ireland Active and Swim Ireland to ensure that pools are in a position to reopen to their communities in line with public health advice.”
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