€200,000 for leisure centre works

SHANNON Swimming and Leisure Centre is to receive a sum of over €200,000 to improve access for people with disabilities and to carry out works to improve the building’s energy efficiency.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy, who is on the board of the leisure centre, said an application for funding was made earlier in the year.
“The department invited submissions and we made ours in July and we were successful. There are old windows there that are going to be replaced and walls will be insulated, which will help cut the energy bill.”
She said disabled access had been improved when the building was renovated but a few more improvements will now be made, including the changing of the door to the building.
Senator Tony Mulcahy, Fine Gael spokesman on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, said he was pleased with the allocation.
“Any money that Government spends on helping those with disabilites access the leisure centre pool in Shannon has to be good for the community. The spin-off to the local economy through people being employed on this project is also a welcome boost. By investing in these improvements, more and more people will be able to use the centre.
“The energy efficiency improvements, which will form part of the money to be spent, will help cut the heating bills for the centre. Heating bills for swimming pools are the largest cost that has to be covered every year and if we can reduce this cost to the taxpayer and cut our carbon footprint at the same time then we are in a win-win situation.”
Deputy Michael McNamara also welcomed the allocation. “The news that the Government will invest €200,000 in Shannon swimming pool to improve disabled access and increase energy conservation at the pool demonstrates our commitment to the vulnerable throughout these difficult economic times. I am delighted for the increasing number of disabled and elderly people who use the pool, as well as its staff and board of management. This project will also create employment in the short term and increase energy conservation in the long term.
“I had discussed the proposal personally with Minister Michael Ring and am very happy that he decided to support it. It serves the whole community of South Clare and much of East Clare and is a pool I’ve used regularly myself.”
The leisure centre will also be required to contribute a substantial amount of money for the works.
According to the document, which the leisure centre submitted, by far the biggest expense will be the upgrade of its existing boilers and the installation of combined heating power, which is projected to cost over €147,000. Insulating the external walls of the swimming pool area using prefinished thermal insulation board is projected to cost over €47,000.
Replacing windows around the swimming pool area is set to cost over €20,000. Providing automated access to the building and installing an automated sliding door inside the main access to reduce heat loss from the reception area is cost at just over €20,000.