Concern over community access to swimming pool
Local TD Jackie Cahill has today confirmed that some issues in relation to school groups accessing the swimming pool in the Garda College in Templemore are being slowly being resolved, but the “crux of the issue” still requires a common sense approach being taken by the Garda College authorities.
Deputy Cahill was speaking following a conversation with officials from the OPW this morning, where he received confirmation that authorities in the Garda College are to commence their work on sending licences for swimming pool access to the OPW for approval in the next week.
The Government TD said: “I am pleased to receive confirmation from the OPW that they are expecting licences to be sent to them next week that will again permit local schools in the Templemore area access to the swimming pool facilities for vital water safety and swimming courses.
“Last week, I spoke with the OPW Minister, Patrick O’Donovan where he confirmed to me that no licences had been received by his Department at that point. I then raised this with An Garda Síochána authorities, as they had missed their promised deadline of December 1 for access back to the pool for local schools.”
However, Deputy Cahill continued by raising his concerns in relation to the application by Mark Kiely for a licence for the Friday evening lessons, saying: “It is up to the Garda authorities in the Templemore Garda College to forward this licence to the OPW for approval. Until the crux of the issue is resolved, the ‘We Just Want To Swim’ campaign will continue, and I will continue to fully support the community in this regard.
“I will not accept the continued delays with this application, as it is far too important to the local community and the hundreds of local children who require these vital water safety lessons that Mark Kiely wishes to offer the local community.”
Continuing, the Fianna Fáil Deputy said: “I have written directly to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána on this matter, and asked for his direct intervention. Officials from both the OPW and the Department of Justice continue to inform me that the issuing of the licence for the community group, as opposed to the licences for the schools, is a matter for An Garda Síochána directly. As such, I am expecting Commissioner Drew Harris to intervene and force some common sense action in this matter, so that local children can get back to swimming in the pool, as has been the case for many generations of local children”, Cahill concluded.