Last January the council finally agreed to progress the proposals for a public swimming amenity at Dun Laoghaire Baths. But in May, when it came to agreeing the spending programme for the next 4 years, the manager proposed to allocate only €1.5m for the baths. Meanwhile, the Manager also proposed, to spend a €35 million on building a new library headquarters on Moran’s Park.
Of course, improving library services is to be welcomed, but it is ridiculous to spend so much constructing a new building when there are many empty buildings in Dun Laoghaire, which could be used to house a library HQ at a fraction of the cost. Cllrs Melisa Halpin and Hugh Lewis put a motion to the council proposing that the €35 million be used to fund not only a new library HQ but also to restore Dun Laoghaire baths as a swimming amenity and revamp Moran’s Park as a central park for Dun Laoghaire. This
proposal was voted down by all the other councillors present.
Rather than use the €1.5million to begin the proposed redevelopment of the site as a public swimming amenity, the council is proposing to spend it knocking down the outbuildings, restoring the outside of the pavilion, creating a walkway along the seafront, and building a new entrance the People’s Park.
We welcome a clean-up of the baths site, but the fact that €35million is being spent on a Library HQ and only €1.5million on the baths suggests that the council has no intention of giving us the swimming pools for which thousands marched. This plan will come before the council in October and there will be time for members of the public to make submissions. Save Our Seafront is planning a public meeting in September to highlight the council’s plans.
The public need to demand of councillors – we want our swimming pool now!