Pool fund receives boost from Council

November 1996

A clearer picture of how the proposed swimming pool for Dundalk will be funded, emerges from the 1997 Estimates before Dundalk urban council.

A sum of £200,000 is earmarked for the project, to leave a local contribution of almost £1 million by the end of next year.

County manager John Quinlivan explains that the £200,000 provision, much greater than the £42,500 included in the 1996 Estimates, is made possible by the transfer of savings on expiration of loan charges and redemption of other loans elsewhere.

‘ The resultant savings were beneficial to the swimming pool sub-programme, without imposing any additional financial burden on the current account,’ he says.

The amount provided in the Estimate will support the local contribution, and can be converted to a loan charge to cover the capital cost of the pool complex, in addition to the state grant which is expected to be available from the Department of the Environment.

The manager adds a feasibility study has been prepared and will be circulated to the council for their information.

‘Discussions with the private sector are progressing towards a possible joint-venture to provide the town with an impressive civic complex.’

Mr. Quinlivan continues it is expected that final design details will be forwarded to the design architect before the end of 1996, while the local contribution now available for the swimming pool amounts to £797,000, and will be almost £1 million by the end of 1997.

This will be made up as follows: fundraising committee, £180,000; Dundalk UDC, £700,000; Monarc Properties contribution, £42,000; Louth county council, £75,000. Total: £997,000.