In August 2019, Trinity Sport and Estates and Facilities agreed on medium and long-term plans to fix structural issues with Trinity’s swimming pool that have led it to be deemed unsafe to open. More than a year on, none of these plans have been acted upon.
Trinity’s swimming pool has encountered a decade of latent defects being installed incorrectly in the mid-2000’s.
The swimming pool is now unsafe and remains closed indefinitely as the already-existing decay has worsened over lockdown.
The plan, dated August 8th 2019, laid out actions to be taken to deal with the swimming pool under three subheadings: Immediate Remedial Actions, Medium Term Actions and Long Term Options.
The Immediate Remedial Actions, the only actions in the document to have been carried out to this point, called for matting to be secured on loose tiles to prevent them from detaching.
The document, obtained by The University Times, flagged the potential downside of this remedial work, noting that: “Medium term, this solution will work to get the lane open but will not work for the users and sports clubs members and will severely restrict activities.”
According to sports clubs, the matting made things awkward for swimmers as it meant they were unable to turn properly while doing sprints. It also disrupted water polo matches as the mats were inside the nets which hindered the goalies.
Director of Infrastructure Mike Clark told The University Times that a specialist sports architect recently advised Estates and Facilities about the next steps. Three options were provided: the first being to continue with these ad-hoc repairs which would, in time, theoretically lead to a “patch work” fix of the pool.
However, the specialist advised that this option was not sustainable in the long term and instead recommended a more radical solution, the same solution that was called for in the action plan one year ago – the complete replacement of Trinity’s swimming pool.
Under medium-term actions, the August action plan called for an engineering consultancy company to be sourced to “conduct a feasibility on the full repair of the pool tiles and pool deck and determine the phased options of repair, reinstatement and/or development of a new pool”.
The plan’s long-term options offer two daunting paths forward – either the full reinstatement of the pool tank and pool deck in the Sports Centre or else its relocation, stating that “conversations have taken place on the relocation of the pool to T-TEC site”.
The financial implications of this project would be significant due to the combined blow of paying the capital costs of the project plus the inevitable loss of external membership revenue for the Sports Centre as a result of the pool’s necessary closure.
Clark noted this, saying: “Undertaking the complete replacement of the pool and surrounding tiling will be a costly process both in terms of the capital cost and loss of revenue due to the anticipated time such an exercise would take to complete.”
Included among several risks and challenges highlighted in the action plan is the fact that neither Trinity Sport nor Estates and Facilities have the appropriate funding to cover remedial works.
Seeing as the Sports Centre cannot self-finance the works that are needed, funding from central College is essential.
Jemil Saidi, Chair of Dublin University Central Athletics Club (DUCAC), in an interview with The University Times last month, said that: “For us to still be talking about it – I mean action plans were set in August 2019 and here we are in 2020 in July and there hasn’t been a move on those plans. So I think we really need college to step in and commit to those plans that they made.”
Saidi did acknowledge that urgent short-term remedies laid out under Immediate Remedial Actions in the action plan which were essential for keeping the swimming pool open this past year had been carried out.
However, asked specifically about whether the medium or long-term options have been acted upon by college, Saidi responded: “There hasn’t been a move on it to my knowledge – costs still have yet to be determined. Like all this, the fact that the pool is in a state that it is now just shows that there hasn’t been any move on those action plans.”
“The medium and long-term action plans need to be taken up because they need to replace those tiles. We just need college to come forward.”
“It’s going to impact the student experience hugely and I personally would hate that. I know Trinity Sport and DUCAC would hate to see that happen as well”, Saidi added.
Asked about how much the full repairs would cost, Michelle Tanner, Head of Sport and Recreation at Trinity, could not provide an estimate.
It also remains uncertain when contractors will be appointed to carry out necessary repairs – either temporary or permanent.
Clark emphasised the difficulty caused by the current pandemic of even making immediate progress by providing temporary repairs to the swimming pool so that it can be reopened in time for the start of the academic year.
“The effect of the pandemic should not be underestimated as this has significantly impacted on the construction industry and our ability to procure specialists from within Ireland and especially the UK and beyond.”
“There has also been an impact in terms of the availability of the appropriate tiles and the cumulative effect of this is significant”, Clark added.
Clark assured, however, that despite this, efforts are continuing to be made to source specialist diving companies in the UK and Ireland who can undertake “further interim repairs”.
Tanner echoed these concerns, saying: “I wish this issue had been resolved pre COVID which has undoubtedly created more challenges.”
“This is not an ideal situation and we will do our best to limit the impact on student sport (clubs and recreation) and our college community. We appreciate the frustration shared by all”, she added.
Communications Manager for Trinity Sport Gillian Neely, described the process as “frustrating for everyone”, in an email statement to The University Times.
“Sub Aqua tiling is quite specialist and expensive. Understanding the complexities of the issue and having to plan for immediate, medium and long term solutions has made this difficult to resolve.”
In the statement, Trinity Sport further explained that while College is hoping to hire a contractor to make temporary repairs as soon as possible, the intention is also to “schedule works to repair the pool deck tiles and to review plans to conduct a full repair and vision for the future”.
