Waiting lists for swimming lessons criticised

Cavan County Council found itself in the deep end when councillors criticised lengthy waiting lists for swimming lessons at its pool.

The monthly meeting was told families have been waiting up to six years for their children to start lessons at the Drumalee pool.

“They’ve stopped taking names for lessons now,” said Cllr Philip Brady (FF), who raised the issue.

“Parents had to register their children when they are born in order to get lessons.”

He said there were “rarely complaints” about the leisure centre and the services provided but things have come to a head recently.

The online booking system, introduced to reduce the number of pool users during the Covid pandemic, can only allocate a place to one person at a time. He said this means a family must make numerous bookings in order to include all family members.

He also questioned why other Covid mitigation measures, such as the one-way system in place, remain in place.

Director of Service for Planning, Community and Economic Development acknowledged there is a backlog and waiting list for swimming lessons at Cavan Leisure Centre but said it’s nothing new.

“This has been an issue for years in Cavan. The pool only has four lanes and there is a huge volume of people looking for access.

“You have schools, children, adults, triathlon clubs, canoe clubs all looking to use the pool.”

He added the COVID-19 restrictions meant that “two years of lessons” had been missed. Despite “900 to 1,000” people getting lessons in the pool every week, the “volume of people is huge”.

He said “every way possible” to improve the situation would be looked at.

Cllr Madeleine Argue (FG) highlighted swimming lessons at Annagh and Lavey lakes given during summer months, deeming them “very successful”.

However, Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley pointed out difficulties in securing swimming coaches to run this year’s programme.