The follow is a copy of the Managers Report 13/11/09:
The proposal to close the 3 pools emanate from a number of circumstances.
a) All three pools are over 30 years old, have reached the end of their design life and are effectively obsolete.
b) The adopted City Council Sports Policy is to provide integrated regional sports and leisure centres with a range of facilities including, pool, gym, steamroom/sauna, aerobics studios, sports halls, all-weather floodlit pitches; these top-class facilities to be located in commercial urban growth centres. This allows a range of family sport activities to be combined with other activities such as shopping, visit to library, restaurant visit etc. and generates more users. None of the 3 pools fulfil the above requirements. No credible marketing campaign could be mounted round any of them.
c) All 3 pools are grossly underused with previous users moving to other modern facilities both private and public.
d) All 3 pools cost between 5 and 10 times their income to operate and have a combined operating loss of €1.1m approximately. As previously stated on a number of occasions, this loss can be reduced by opening for less hours (say cancel all public hours and open for consolidated school/club use only). In addition all three pools require capital remedial works to plants, have high operational costs due to their age, and now require a major refurbishment if they are to continue to operate on a long-term basis. Comparison with similar private pools is not quite like with like as schools and religious facilities do not pay rates. It will be recalled that it was stated that significant voluntary work went into some of these pools also. (In relation to staff costs of 3 pools it should be noted that manning is kept to minimum numbers and that pay and allowances are at a nationally agreed rates for existing staff).
I should emphasise that when faced with cuts of the magnitude required for the 2010 Budget all possibilities were considered. Staff worked endlessly during August and September on various possible savings and the various merits of all the facilities and services we provide. It was in the context of the above realities (a) to (d) that the closure proposal was brought to the S.P.C. This was done after cuts to other services, cuts in staff numbers etc. were factored in. As previously stated CRA Dept remains €300k short of necessary cuts while Corporately €20m + remains to be bridged.
If pools are to be kept open then alternative compensating savings must be made in Budgets elsewhere, list of the sports facilities have been supplied in writing to S.P.C.
Regardless of what is put in Budget for 3 pools, they will have to close in the short-term anyway, when plant gives up the ghost or on health and safety grounds unless major capital refurbishment is carried out to each. No Capital funding at local or national level is available now or likely to be available in next few years for this work.
Closure costs for all three pools would be minimal covering drainage, disconnection of services, removal of chemicals and securing of access. In relation to Crumlin Pool some minor reconfiguring of dressing rooms is proposed to allow their use for football.
I now propose to immediately contact the various groups who use the 3 pools with a view to a managed transfer to adjoining facilities. There is lots of spare capacity in Markievicz and Ballymun with less in Ballyfermot. It is proposed to give priority to local walking group of school children in arranging the transfers. The many groups who already bus to these facilities can change without too much difficulty to a range of other private and public facilities. (Appendix A attached)
In relation to Swim Ireland, Sports Council and D.A.S.T. there is no credible possibility of their getting involved in the financing or operating of these 3 pools. All three organisations have funding issues of their own to deal with in 2009/10 and have no spare capacity.
In summary the decision on the pools in relation to Budget 2010 is a reserved function strictly for the elected Council; but age and events are overcoming these facilities and their days are numbered in their current estate. A managed transfer of users as set out above is my best considered recommendation.
Philip Maguire
Deputy City Manager
