Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy announces €330,000 funding for outdoor swimming projects
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 11 July 2025
- Last updated on: 11 July 2025
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor has today announced €330,000 in funding to support participation in outdoor swimming across Ireland.
This is the second year of the Healthy Ireland initiative, which aims to support the growing popularity of outdoor swimming by improving accessibility and safety. Funding will be allocated to swimming projects nationwide to make them more accessible so that more people can enjoy its many health benefits. Applications for funding will be considered for swimming sites that wish to improve access, develop or improve changing facilities or purchase equipment to assist people with disabilities.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
"I'm delighted to have secured funding to continue this wonderful initiative which will enable more people to enjoy swimming at Ireland’s many designated outdoor swimming locations in 2025. Swimming outdoors is fantastic for our physical and mental health and wellbeing and provides a wonderful opportunity for people to connect with others. It’s important that we build on the growth in popularity of swimming by enabling as many people as possible, across all ages, to participate. This is a perfect example of the Healthy Ireland principles in action, and will help more people to enjoy the fantastic swimming amenities at our rivers, lakes, beaches and outdoor pools."
The funding will be administered by Sport Ireland on behalf of the Department of Health.
CEO of Sport Ireland Úna May said:
"Sport Ireland is proud to collaborate once more with the Minister following her success in making funding available in 2025. The initiatives supported by this funding, along with the launch of Ireland’s first National Swimming Strategy, can play an instrumental role in enabling more people to swim outdoors.
"As shown by the Irish Sport Monitor 2024 report, swimming is the second most popular participation sport in Ireland, offering a unique opportunity for inclusivity across all of society. Sport and physical activity are hugely important for our population’s physical and mental wellbeing.
"The range of locations, across Ireland’s rivers, lakes and seas, make them ideal for people who may face geographic or economic barriers to swimming. Our network of Local Sports Partnerships worked effectively with the Local Authorities in 2024 and we will once more work together with Healthy Ireland and Swim Ireland to build on these successes."
Notes
Applications for Healthy Ireland’s Outdoor Swimming Infrastructure Fund can be made to Sport Ireland via participation@sportireland.ie.
Details of the application process have been sent to Local Sports Partnerships.
In 2024, Healthy Ireland funding was allocated to 26 projects around Ireland, enabling broader participation by improving access, developing and enhancing changing facilities and procuring equipment to assist people with disabilities.