Just to explain the update on the 3 x City Council swimming pools that have been under financial strain.

As a result of negotiations between FG/Labour and city management late last year during the budgetary process for 2010, the city manager allocated €600,000 to the swimming pools to keep them operational while City Council explored various options to secure their viability for the future.

The €600k was originally meant to fund 6 months of operation but because of some reduced costs, operational savings etc this actually covers pools operation until end August 2010. 

City Council management are very aware of a unified political desire to keep these 3 pools open so they have secured further once-off savings of €300k to keep the pools open until end December 2010.  Examples of savings involved include the delayed opening of community facilities in Ballybough and Poppintree (Ballymun) thus with a lower related spend happening this year.

The problem is not solved for the long term but it provides a very welcome window of opportunity to see if further avenues can be explored to save these pools.