Over 50 residents from Gurranabraher and surrounding areas on the northside of Cork city expressed their outrage at the high prices being charged by the newly opened state of the art leisure centre in their area. Mick Barry, Cork Socialist Party Councillor, organised and chaired a public meeting at which it was decided to launch a campaign to force the centre to lower its prices.

The campaign will be kicked off by a protest at the leisure centre and followed up by a "monster" public meeting in September.

It costs adults €6.10 during peak hours for a 40 minute swim and €3.20 for children. Concessions only apply during restricted off peak hours and anyone who wants to join must pay a €70 membership fee. If a child wants to use the slide it costs an additional 70 cent per go. And what child is going to go to a pool and not want to use the slide? These prices are exorbitant, unjustified and unaffordable for many working class communities on the northside of Cork.

One woman told her story of bringing her two children to the pool for a 40 minute session and the trip cost her €23 due to the extra prices of hats, armbands and the slide. Low income families simply cannot afford these outrageous prices. Another said that the price for her family had doubled compared to the prices charged at the previous pool.

The centre is a public private partnership with councillors from Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Labour Party on its board. Not one of these councillors showed up at the public meeting to explain whether they supported the price structure. These councillors are to be invited to the September public meeting to account for themselves. This is an example of how a public private partnership is being used to end public subsidies for facilities such as pools. Now the running costs of the pool are being subsidised by low wages and high prices.

At a time when we need more leisure facilities in working class communities to help combat the problems of anti-social behaviour and obesity, Cork City Council has opened a facility which is too expensive for our young people to use. The defiant and angry mood at this public meeting showed that they have a fight on their hands.