Ireland’s proposed €1 billion investment in swimming and community leisure infrastructure could create an important opportunity for facilities management to become a strategic part of how the country designs, operates and future-proofs public leisure assets.

Swim Ireland and Ireland Active have called for a dedicated, ring-fenced Local Authority Swimming Pool Fund as the first phase of a ten-year investment programme covering new facilities, replacements and major refurbishments. Their proposal forms part of their Budget 2027 pre-budget submission.

The scale of the proposal reflects a wider infrastructure opportunity. Swim Ireland’s Swimming Pool Gap Analysis found significant gaps in public provision, accessibility, energy performance and regional availability. It also highlighted the need for better approaches to the building, operating and maintenance of swimming facilities.

That makes facilities management more than an operational consideration. It can become part of the investment strategy from the earliest stages of a project.

Modern swimming facilities are complex buildings, combining water-treatment systems, mechanical and electrical infrastructure, ventilation, heating, humidity control, changing facilities and public spaces. Their performance depends on these systems working together efficiently and reliably.

For FM professionals, this creates opportunities to bring lifecycle thinking into new leisure developments. Designing for maintainability, establishing preventative maintenance programmes and using energy and building-performance data can help operators protect asset value while improving the experience for users.

Energy efficiency is particularly relevant. Swimming pools are energy-intensive environments, making heating, ventilation and water treatment important areas for operational optimisation. The opportunity is to integrate energy management into the wider FM strategy rather than treating sustainability as a separate capital-project objective.

Ireland already has a practical example. The reopening of Askeaton Pool & Leisure followed extensive refurbishment that included new mechanical and electrical equipment, upgraded ventilation, a new air-to-water heat pump, solar panels and an upgraded pool-water treatment system. The project demonstrates how capital investment can combine modernisation, energy efficiency and long-term operational value.

Accessibility and resilience can also be embedded into FM planning. Facilities need to remain welcoming and usable for different ages and abilities, while maintenance strategies should consider business continuity, equipment reliability and the long-term adaptability of buildings.

For FM providers and suppliers, a national investment programme could therefore create opportunities across asset management, planned maintenance, energy management, building services, water treatment, compliance, cleaning, technology and lifecycle consultancy.

The proposed €1 billion should ultimately be about more than adding physical capacity. It offers an opportunity to create a new generation of community leisure facilities that are efficient, accessible, resilient and easier to operate throughout their lifecycle.

For Ireland’s FM sector, that makes swimming infrastructure an important example of where good facilities management can turn capital investment into lasting community and commercial value.