Fingal pitches in to help Portmarnock swimming pool fix its roof

Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Club (PSLC) is set to receive an emergency grant of €500,000 from Fingal County Council to help re-open its swimming pool.

Councillors approved the funding at their full monthly meeting on Monday. 

The club had been forced to shutter the swimming pool due to issues with their roof on 13 March.

An engineering audit had found extensive structural deficiencies with the roof, said David Storey, Fingal’s director of environment, climate action, active travel and sports.

 “The closure of the pool is obviously an ongoing impact on communities,” he said.

According to the PSLC’s website, the closure affected nearly half of the staff it has working in the facility.

PSLC proposed to the council a series of works that include waterproofing measures, remedial works to the pool tank and drainage infrastructure, health and safety upgrades, and enabling and preparatory works, according to a council report.

Obviously it would be a large financial commitment, and PSLC is going to have to get some funding itself, Storey said.

But, in light of the cost and their contribution to the community, Storey said the council was looking for its elected members to approve the grant of €500,000.

Jimmy Guerin didn’t learn to swim in the PSLC

The PSLC is a not-for-profit pool, and one of only 10 pools in the county, all of which are either private or not-for-profit, according to the council’s audit of its sports facilities in April 2024.

Councillors have approved plans to build a new municipal swimming pool up in Balbriggan – which would be the first publicly owned pool in Fingal.

Until March, the PSLC had “thousands” of weekly swimmers, Fianna Fáil Councillor Cathal Haughey said at the meeting. “It caters for all the local schools, providing swimming lessons and many of the local sports clubs.”

This closure brought about an emergency situation, said Fianna Fáil Councillor Eoghan O’Brien. “I’m absolutely delighted to see the proposal here this evening so quickly to help what is an absolutely essential local amenity.”

But, maybe the council could encourage PSLC to install photovoltaic solar panels, said Green Party Councillor David Healy.

The municipal pool in Balbriggan is to get solar panels, he said. “I think it’s the right time to try to include the solar energy generation as part of their project.”

Independent Councillor Tony Murphy didn’t want to pour cold water onto this support, but he wanted to know what gains the community would make from this investment.

“And the other question I have is concerning the setting of a precedent,” he said, “that we don’t fall foul of other private entities coming into Fingal County Council looking for financial support.”

About 2,500 people use it, said Storey. “I think there’s 10 or 12 different clubs that you don’t have to be members of. They’re all using the pool as well.”

About 80 percent of its users are non-members, Labour Councillor Brendan Ryan said. “So it’s effectively a public facility.”

How much of the repair costs still needed to be covered on top of the council’s contribution, said Sinn Féin Councillor Malachy Quinn. “How much is the PSLC and central government bringing to the table?”

Ryan said the cost would be in the region of €1.2 million. “The [Department of Culture, Communications and Sport] apparently are just footing €100,000.”

Independent Councillor Jimmy Guerin said for his 30th birthday, his wife gave him swimming lessons in the club, “which didn’t work”.

But, for his 40th birthday, he was elected as club chair, “still not being able to swim”, he said. “Whilst it is not owned by Fingal, they have stood in and filled the vacuum for the last 40 years.”

Guerin was meant to be selling this grant to people, said Sinn Féin Councillor John Smyth. “Not saying that you went swimming and they didn’t teach you how to swim.”

This grant was to come from the community fund available to non-council owned community facilities, said John Quinlivan, Fingal’s director of economic, community and cultural development.

 Since 2020, €1.4 million has been transferred into it, he said. While 24 grants have been paid out between 2021 and 2025, he said. “Those grants, in total, have valued €550,000.”

This grant is significant, he said. “But it will leave €417,000.”

These are special circumstances, he said. “It’s a major piece of recreational infrastructure.”

The grant was agreed.