Laois swimming pool cancels shared school and adult pool plan
Laois leisure centre ditches shared pool plan following lesson cancellations and parents’ petition by Portlaoise school
Laois Leisure has backed out of a controversial plan to allow adult members to swim in Portlaoise Leisure Centre swimming pool, at the same time as children during school lessons.
The change of heart follows a petition signed by over 200 concerned parents in Scoil Bhride NS in Portlaoise. That petition organised by the Parents Association had been submitted to the board and management of the leisure centre.
The centre had announced that from September, paid up adult members were going to be permitted to use one swimming lane in the pool during school swimming lessons.
Manager Sean Quirke had said that it is common practice in other centres, made financial sense and offered a better service to members. Read story here
However the decision caused Scoil Bhride NS, one of its longest customers in Portlaoise, to cancel all nine of their weekly lessons for their 3rd and 4th class boys and girls.
Principal Michael McEvoy had said it was a “no-no” for child safety.
“We see this as a huge issue, in terms of child protection and safety,” he had told the Leinster Express/Laois Live.
He had hoped management would change its mind, and said other schools had also cancelled lessons out of similar concerns.
Scoil Bhrid Parents Association had said it “raises legitimate concerns regarding supervision, privacy, and compliance with best practice in child protection”.
Their chair, parent Elaine Duff has confirmed that the decision is now reversed.
“The manager of the leisure centre has been in contact to advise that the school swimming lessons will be proceeding without the members lane included. This has been communicated to schools to advise of the revision of the proposed change of format.
Ms Duff had also pulled her own child from private afterschool swimming lessons at the centre, over the same issue.
She had said the company’s decision is “fundamentally flawed” and creates “unnecessary risk”, in a letter of complaint.
Ms Duff is hoping that decision will also be reversed.
“In relation to the public swimming lessons on evenings and weekends, further clarification is awaited and will be available at the end of June,” she said.
Laois Leisure PLC runs swimming pool and gym centres in Portlaoise and Portarlington. It is an associated company of Laois County Council and receives some public funding. The council declined to comment.