A POPULAR leisure centre in Co Kildare has closed its doors to the public as it scrambles to try get insurance cover.

Spin Activity Centre in Newbridge announced on Saturday that it would be shut for the foreseeable future as it tries to source an insurance provider.

The centre offers a number of activities to customers including roller-skating, dance and fitness-based classes and a 20-metre swimming pool.

A recently established swim school which used the facilities has also been forced to close as a result.

In a statement, Spin said the cheapest insurance quote it has received was for €100,000 - more than four times its previous premium.

"We have been trying to source insurance cover for the last six weeks since we were informed that our insurer for the last 3 years, Leisure Insure, along with a number of other leisure insurance providers have now completely withdrawn from the Irish leisure market," a Spin spokesperson said.

"While it is not a legally a requirement for us to have a policy in place it would be irresponsible and possibly even negligent for us to trade while we don’t have a policy in place.

"We are extremely saddened and frustrated by the current leisure insurance situation here in Ireland especially having spent the last three years building a business here within the Newbridge community and we are working hard to try and minimise the impact of the current situation."

JTR Swim School - which was only launched in March this year - also issued a statement saying swim lessons would now be cancelled.

"It is with huge sadness that we regret to inform all our swimmers and parents that as from Saturday, due to circumstances beyond JTR Swim School's control, that Spin Activity Centre, will close their doors and therefore JTR Swim School will no longer have a building or a pool to work out of," said Johanna Tiley-Rock, founder of JTR.

"I would like to Thank my husband Dave and my Daughters, Clara and Ava who believed in me and gave up so much of their time for me to follow my dream."

Parents whose children attend swimming classes at the centre slammed the government for not moving quicker to address the insurance crisis.

"This is disgraceful, my kids loving going here every Saturday. The government needs to take responsibility before there is nothing fun left to do in this country," one mother said.

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