A WEST Cork councillor who said she made 110 calls to try to book swimming lessons for her son has called for an online booking system to be implemented at the West Cork Leisure Centre.

Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) highlighted the issue at the Dunmanway facility in the context of discussing the need for a public pool in Bandon at a meeting of the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District.

‘I’m driving to Dunmanway every single week bringing my four children for swimming lessons and trying to ring there to book lessons is crazy,’ she said. ‘I made 110 calls one morning before the phone was answered as I was trying to book my son in for a six-week slot.

‘The level of teaching there is fantastic and the lessons are very good value for money. But we need an online booking system to be put in place. Some families are missing out on lessons entirely as for years lessons have been bookable only
by phone.’

Cllr Bambury said in contrast private leisure providers routinely offer online booking systems. She called on the council to modernise public pool booking systems to ensure fair and efficient access for all families.

‘While private swimming lessons are available in Kinsale, Macroom, Rosscarbery and Bishopstown they are significantly more expensive,’ she pointed out. ‘Swimming is widely recognised as a core life skill and public provision must remain affordable and accessible.’

Cllr Bambury highlighted a recent report by Swim Ireland, which found there is just one swimming pool per 81,000 people which she described as ‘chronic underinvestment in swimming infrastructure’. Swim Ireland has warned that this has serious implications for water safety and public health.

Cllr Bambury requested that Cork County Council publish an itemised annual breakdown of Dunmanway Swimming Pool’s operational and maintenance costs, which is to include staffing, energy, maintenance, insurance and administration to ideally over the most recent financial year and an average over the past three to five years.

She said this information is vital to ensure that any future swimming pool in Bandon is financially sustainable and delivers long-term value to the community and said there is a demand for recreational facilities in the town, which has a growing population.

Cllr Marie O’Sullivan (FG) supported her request and said it’s important to know the feasibility of any project to see if it will actually be viable.

Senior executive officer Noreen O’Mahony said they will look at providing those operational costs for the pool and added that they are currently working on an online booking system for the West Cork Leisure Centre and are hoping to get it in place in the new year.
She said a new multi-membership fee of €60 for the pool and the gym is being introduced in the new year.

A public meeting was recently held in Bandon about the need for a public swimming pool in the town and a steering group has now been formed to progress the project.