The committee behind the new Buncrana Leisure Centre have been devastated to learn they were denied funding under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund today.
The Letterkenny Regional Sports and Activity Hub was today granted €8.7 million as part of an overall package of €173 million for 35 major sports projects across Ireland.
Further investment of more than €364,000 was announced for 19 community centres with much celebration across government parties.
However, Buncrana, a town deprived of a swimming pool for almost 10 years, was left empty-handed.
The new centre is shovel-ready, with full planning permission granted, but needs millions in funding to reach the next stage.
Rosina McLaughlin, chair of the Buncrana Community Leisure Centre Committee, said today’s refusal brings them back to square one.
“We are totally reliant on the government. I hope people remember now what they have done when they are voting in the election,” Rosina told Donegal Daily.
“We have to start all over again. We are back to the drawing board and Inishowen again is not going to get a swimming pool. It’s devastating,” she said.
Rosina is part of an 11-strong committee fighting to give children and adults of Buncrana the chance to learn to swim. In a coastal town, this is a necessity, not a luxury.
“The committee is totally underestimated for all the work they do behind the scenes,” Rosina said.
“I just hope that my colleagues will have the will to go on and keep fighting because it’s a terrible blow,” she said.
The new leisure centre project is estimated at €16 million, with €11 million sought from the government and the remainder to be provided by Donegal County Council. The centre will replace the vacant building at Aileach Road, which has become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.
“The building is lying there. It’s being vandalised all the time,” Rosina said.
“It’s costing money to board it up every time.
“The building needs to be demolished. With what little money is in the bank we have to pay the insurance, electricity and all the other bills, for a building that needs to be tumbled.”
Rosina says she has put too much into this campaign to not give up now, but said: “I am at a loss to know where we go from here, at what point do we give up?”
Buncrana councillor Jack Murray says he was ‘sick to the stomach’ at the news.
Cllr Murray said the snub is “an absolute, inexplicable disgrace”.
The Sinn Féin councillor said: “To me, this is clearly a decision based on the politics of geography. We have a government which doesn’t give two hoots about Inishowen as areas which have been awash with funding for years are set to enjoy another windfall – while we are left behind. We will, of course, continue to fight and focus on plan B – to include the pool in the application for the regeneration of the Shore Front.”
