The swimming pool at Ballakermeen High School could be open once again before the end of the year.

The pool has been out of action since January 2020.

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson told the House of Keys this was ’due to health and safety risks arising from issues with the pool tank lining’, relating to water quality and temperature due to ’substantial leaks’. No children had been injured.

Quotations are being sought from specialist companies and, if suitable proposals come forward and expert workers are able to travel, it is aimed for work to take place the pool to reopen before the end of 2021.

While the pool has been closed, the Department of Infrastructure has been carrying out structural repair works to the pool duct surrounds and pipework

Dr Allinson was responding to a question from Julie Edge (Onchan), a former bursar of the Douglas school. She asked him to confirm the pool lining had been carried out with fibreglass material and whether there would be recompense as a result.

Dr Allinson said the work was carried out in 2018 and ’I believe that the DoI have reached out to the original installer’.

He did not know why it was decided to replace the rubberised lining with fibreglass material.