DONEGAL Minister, Charlie McConalogue, has pledged his full commitment to securing funding to proceed with the Buncrana Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Project.
“The provision of a new swimming pool and leisure centre is hugely important for Buncrana and the wider Inishowen peninsula,” the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine commented.
“I have been engaging with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Rural Development to pursue funding through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund and also through the Regeneration Fund that is part of the Repower Buncrana Project.
“I am disappointed that we have not been successful in securing funding through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund this week. Unfortunately, only one of the two Donegal projects that had applied for funding was successful, with the ATU Letterkenny Regional Sports and Activity Hub being allocated €8.7 million. This was the fifth largest funded project out of the 37 that were funded nationally under a €173 million government investment with Donegal receiving the sixth largest overall allocation in this funding round,” the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine added.
“The application for the Buncrana Pool and Leisure Centre was seeking €11.7 million from the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, with an additional €5 million to come from Donegal County Council. Unfortunately, it did not prove possible to secure funding for both projects, given the need for a regional spread across all counties. As only one project was selected on this occasion, the funding was allocated by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to ATU Letterkenny Regional Sports and Activity Hub as the indicated first preference choice of Donegal County Council in the application process,” he said.
“I will now press for a successful funding application for the Repower Buncrana Project under the Rural Regeneration Fund. This project received €1.8 million last year for the design project proposal, and I believe it is one that will stand a very strong chance of being successful.
“Planning permission for the new state-of-the-art swimming pool and leisure centre was granted in January. This project is critical for Buncrana and Inishowen, and I will do everything possible to make sure that the funding is secured so that it can be delivered,” the Donegal Minister added.
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