Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne, second from right, met MPAG members, Robert Keane, left, and Lisa Corcoran, centre, in Mullingar recently. Also in the photo are Cllr Aoife Davitt and Deputy Robert Troy.

MPAG meeting with Minister of Sport 'very positive'

Rodney Farry

Published: Thu 25 Jan 2024, 2:21 PM

Members of Mullingar Pool Action Group (MPAG) met with Minister of Sport Thomas Byrne recently to discuss plans for a new regional sports centre for the town.

The meeting on January 15 was the second time in a little over a year that representatives from MPAG have met with the sports minister to discuss the need for a new swimming pool and sports centre in the town.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner MPAG chair Lisa Corcoran said that Minister Byrne was “very receptive and supportive towards the project”.

“Obviously a lot has changed since the previous meeting with the then minister Jack Chambers in late 2022.

“Our main focus then had been to identify the need for a new pool for Mullingar with regard to the town's growing population and the lack of capacity that the current pool provides.

“The focus of this meeting, however, was to identify what progress has been made on getting the new regional sports complex shovel-ready.

“Westmeath County Council has done great work on the project over the past 12 to 18 months with the contract for the design and planning phase being signed before Christmas.

“It is expected that a new round of Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Funding (LSSIF) will open for applications in the coming months so it is very important to see the plans for this project progressing in order to be in a good position to secure national funding.”

Westmeath County Council is expected to commence a sports need assessment shortly to get the views of local groups and individuals about what they feel should be included in the plans.

“This will provide an opportunity for community groups, educational facilities, and sporting groups to have their say on the design of the complex. It's important that as many groups as possible have their views heard,” Ms Corcoran says.

Deputy Robert Troy, who facilitated the meeting with Minister Byrne, said that the response from his party colleague was “very positive”.

“Minister Byrne advised the importance of having the council on board. “

Last time 33 projects got funding. It is surprising that some counties got funding for two projects and Westmeath didn't get any.

“Minister Byrne's feeling is that he wants to see the funding spread evenly across the country.”

Deputy Troy paid tribute to MPAG for their efforts and also praised Westmeath County Council for the progress made over the past 12 months.

While the project is still at a very early stage, Deputy Troy said the fact that the council has already allocated €600,000 for the design and planning phase is a clear indication to the minister and the Department of Sport of the commitment of both the elected members and the executive.

“The application process will open in a matter of months and it is important that we are in a good position when it does,” he said.