Dockrell calls for a public swimming pool in North County Dublin

Dockrell calls for a public swimming pool in North County Dublin

A lack of facilities is a significant concern for residents in Donabate and Portrane. The Donabate Local Area Plan allows for 4,000 additional residential units to be built in the coming years. While increased housing supply is very welcome, we should equally be pushing for better facilities. Our local authority should approve planning applications by developers on the condition that adequate sporting and social infrastructure are part of their application. Fingal currently has no public swimming pool. There has been an ongoing campaign to have a public swimming pool built in Fingal for many years. With the population of Fingal now at over 170,000, this is not an unreasonable or overly ambitious proposal. And given that a significant number of houses that are being built in north county Dublin are planned for Donabate, we have as good a claim as any other area for a pool to be located on the peninsula. By comparison, Leitrim has a population of 35,000 and has two public swimming pools. A pool in Donabate could cater for residents here and nearby towns. While the pop-up pool that was in the car park of the community centre in Donabate was a great temporary addition, we should be advocating for a permanent facility. The pop-up pool demonstrated that there is huge interest in swimming on the peninsula. I have written to the Minister for Sport making enquiries regarding the Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) and how communities can best access funds under this scheme. A public pool is a proposal I will continue to advocate for at local and national level. If you want me to keep you updated on this campaign or if you would like me to share with your correspondence or responses I receive from State Agencies, please email me: eoghandockrellfg@gmail.com.