Swimming pool action group hold ‘positive’ meeting with council

Some of the almost €3m set aside by councillors in the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District for a new swimming pool and sports centre in Robinstown is to be used to move the long awaited project to the design and planning phase following a meeting between a delegation from the Mullingar Pool Action Group and representatives from Westmeath County Council last week.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, action group chairperson Lisa Corcoran described the meeting as “very positive”. The delegation from the action group included Minister of State Peter Burke, Cllrs Hazel Smyth and John Shaw, as well as Ms Corcoran and Siofra Byrne.

“We were delighted to be asked to meet with council officials. We were really well received and the council were very receptive to our and our ideas about the project. They confirmed that they were committed to bring it forward to the design phase,” Ms Corcoran said.

“I also felt the action group and the council are on the same page about delivering a universally accessible pool for all of the residents of the greater Mullingar area.”

The action group chair added that the group has been heartened by the support they have received from local elected representatives from across the political spectrum, including local TDs Peter Burke, Robert Troy and Sorca Clarke, and the members of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad.

“The far sighted decision of local councillors to ring fence funding from every annual budget since 2017 has to be commended, and part of that money will be used to fund the design phase of the project, something the action group is grateful for.

“We are also appreciative of the excellent work being done on a daily basis by the staff at the current swimming pool, a facility that the town has outgrown.”

The action group are due to meet representatives from Swim Ireland, of the council executive in the coming months.