Fingal exploring buying swimming pools for towns across county

Fingal County Council is considering purchasing modular swimming pools for major towns throughout Fingal.

The local authority said at this month’s council meeting that it was engaging with Swim Ireland about delivering swimming facilities for the county.

FCC was responding to a question tabled by a group of Fianna Fail councillors who asked the council to explore the idea.

The National Aquatic Centre in Dublin 15 is one of the only swimming pools in Fingal and there are currently no municipal pools in the county.

The councillors asked the chief executive to purchase above-ground pools at a low-cost.

The motion read: “That the Chief Executive supply 25 metre above ground modular swimming pools in the major towns in Fingal which will be built at a cost of €950k and have an anticipated lifespan of 30 years.

“This would solve the problem of having no municipal pools in Fingal and do so at a very moderate cost.”

In response the council said a review of the swimming facilities in the county is currently underway and a report will be finalised early next year.

“The Community Development Department have opened a dialogue with Swim Ireland with a view to incorporating best practice on swimming facilities into a wider review of sports and recreation facilities within the Fingal County Council area,” the local authority said.

“The review has commenced, and it is envisaged that the review will be finalised in the first half of 2023.

“The review is being undertaken against the backdrop of a potential national policy/strategy review by the Department of Sport whereby it is anticipated that further direction will emerge nationally on the provision and funding of swimming pool facilities.”

In February 2021, Fingal County Council said there were no plans to construct new swimming pools in the western part of the county due to a lack of demand.

“The National Aquatic Centre is available for public use to residents in this area,” it said in response to a motion tabled by councillor Howard Mahony.

Earlier this year, Donabate was chosen as the inaugural location for Ireland’s first ever pop-up swimming pool.

The 12 metre by 3.4 metre steel-structure pool was located in the Fingal town for 12 weeks over the summer before being brought around the country by Swim Ireland.