A LABOUR Party member of Castlebar Town Council is demanding quicker access to funding to be made available for ongoing projects in the county town.

Councillor Harry Barrett made his call at last Thursday’s meeting of the authority following what he described as ‘a certain level of disquiet that Castlebar is trailing Westport for access to funding for essential projects’.

Speaking on a motion seeking commencement of a public consultation process to find ideas and options on how to develop Lough Lannagh, he expressed concern current projects are taking too long.

 

In a statement that will be perceived in political quarters as being critical of An Toaiseach Enda Kenny while lauding the efforts of Junior Minister Michael Ring in his community, he claimed: “We seem to be trailing Westport in terms of the amount of monies that it seems to be able to access for local projects.

“There is a certain level of disquiet in the town that we are missing out. We read recently of Westport being awarded €5 million for sustainable transport, €25,000 for boxing clubs, €40,000 for a music festival and €175,000 for new greenway section.

“There is a constant stream of funding available to Westport and good luck to it. I have no issue with that and I applaud thee endeavours of people in the town.

“However, elected members of Castlebar Town Council need to remind their TDs to assist them in their strong efforts to progress our tourism potential.

“It is my view the riverside walks project is taking too long due to funding delays. The same can be said of the town park development which we are trying to fund in fits and starts.

“The town also needs access to funding to build a new swimming pool and we seem no closer to that proposal than we were two years ago when I first raised it. This is no fault of this council as we can only operate within allotted budgets.

“The biggest scandal of all is the delay in providing funding for the N5. This road is hindering development and, according to IDA officials, is a major problem in terms of attracting investment in this region.

“I’m not criticising Westport. I am, however, asking that we become more vocal as a council in terms of our needs.

“We have ongoing essential infrastructure that needs immediate funding and we have a local product in Lough Lannagh and the surrounding lakes that could be developed into the Naples of the west.

“I don’t want to have to wait until I’m drawing the pension before it is made a reality.”

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne welcomed Councillor Barrett’s views.

He proposed that Junior Minister Michael Ring be invited to the next meeting to outline how he could assist in funding the riverside walks project and other projects in the town. The proposal was seconded by Fianna Fáil Councillor Blackie Gavin