The subsequent closing of the swimming pool has once again raised long-term concerns for the future of the facility which is still awaiting a response from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism to an application for grant funding of €4.2 million by Cork City Council.

A spokesperson from the Gus Healy Swimming Pool, speaking to the Cork Independent, said that there could be no certainity as to when the pool would reopen its doors, as a full assessment of the damage caused by the storm would have to be carried out by an engineer.

Local TD Deirdre Clune said the closure was highly unfortunate, particularly given the fact that the Easter holidays were upon us, but that the situation highlighted the urgent need to launch a new swimming pool programme.

“This closure will affect the many local clubs and schools who depend heavily on the pool. It has happened at a particularly bad time for the public in the run up to the St Patrick’s Weekend and Easter week but Cork City Council officials have assured me that they are working to have the pool reopened this week.

“This event only reinforces the urgent need for the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism to look again at launching a new phase of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme. The week before last, just days before the Douglas Pool was forced to close, I raised this issue with the Minister just to be told that they were no immediate plans to launch a new swimming pool programme.

Continuing, she said, “What this event shows is that a new programme is needed now more than ever. Local Authority swimming pools are great local amenities vital to the local communities they serve but instead of funding the upgrading of pools such as Douglas the Government has allowed them to deteriorate to such an extent that these types of closures are inevitable. The potential benefits that these local swimming pools could provide to the public, to local clubs and to local young people if properly funded are being lost because of the Government’s lack of vision”.

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