Children will lose if pool is privatised
It is important to develop water confidence and safety, thereby promoting self-confidence, a healthy attitude to the body and exercise, thereby moulding the children’s outlook in the future.
As teachers, my colleagues and I take this seriously because we believe it is important to give the youth skills and direction so that they may gain a purposeful direction to their lives and remain focused during difficult teenage years.
In the past, students who have developed basic skills have chosen to further their swimming by joining clubs and gain recognition at a higher level.
Some have gone on to gain lifesaving qualifications and provide a valuable service to the community.
With the closure of the pool, there will be no public swimming facility available in the Cork area, as the Churchfield pool is already closed and will not reopen in the foreseeable future.
Schools have made enquiries elsewhere and have been unable to secure any time-slots.
All the private facilities in the area are unable to cater for any more schools or clubs.
Currently there are 23 schools using the Douglas pool. This means that there are in the region of 2,300 schoolchildren receiving weekly lessons.
Under the proposed development only ten hours per week would be allocated to schools, as opposed to the previous twenty-three. It is obvious that some schools are going to be denied access.
Previously, when the issue of closing the pool was discussed, the public were led to believe that this was not going to happen and that the €2 million would be made available from central government for refurbishment. Why has this not happened? Under the proposed deal the council is giving away, under a 199-year lease, a piece of extremely valuable real estate, for a nominal rental. They are also giving the developer a sum of €60,000 to cover the cost of demolition and removal of debris. Is this really necessary? Pools run by other councils are sustainable. Why is it that the Cork city pools are incurring unsustainable losses?
I understand that the pool is costing the council money to run and that there is a desire to get rid of it and pass the responsibility to someone else.
However, I feel that with careful investment and management, this public facility could be run in a more cost-effective manner.
This would also retain a valuable public asset for the use of the citizens of Cork.
If it ends up in private hands there will be no public in the private partnership.
Richard Johnston,
25, Somerville,
Church Road,
Carrigaline,
Co Cork.
