The High Court has reserved judgment on a challenge to the tender process adopted for award of the contract for construction of the country's first Olympic-size swimming pool.
The tender process is on hold pending the outcome of the action by Stewart's Hospital Foundation, a registered charity, of Palmerstown, Dublin, against the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation.
Stewart's has tendered a proposal to build a 50-metre pool at a site at Balgaddy, Dublin. It claims the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation was not entitled in January last to deem this tender ineligible because it sought initial State funding of £23.6 million.
In August 1998, the Department had written to bidders that it would provide a capital grant of £6 million to the successful tenderer, plus aid of £250,000 a year.
In the three-day hearing before Mr Justice Geoghegan, Stewart's sought orders quashing the decision of the Minister of last January 7th disqualifying its tender and directing him to consider all tenders.