Ireland’s public swimming pools need a lifeline

Restricted hours, facilities closed and a lack of investment – these are some of the complaints people in Ireland have about swimming pools.

It is not always easy to work out who is to blame. With a complex stream of funding and no clear responsibility for building new swimming infrastructure, the sector often seems to fall between the cracks of cash-strapped local councils and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Plans for a national swim strategy – a huge focus on the sport – could help to improve the sector says Conn McCluskey, the Chief Executive of Ireland Active.

The National Sports Strategy for 2018-2027 focuses heavily on swimming, which has started to benefit from the newly created Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.