€300,000 in rural development funding in counties Roscommon & Galway still unspent

Almost €300,000 in rural development funding in counties Roscommon & Galway still unspent by Local Authorities - Murphy

Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has hit out at Minister Michael Ring for not insisting that all of the money paid out to local authorities in rural development funding is spent efficiently.

Following a PQ reply to Fianna Fáil it emerged that €3.5m in funding paid out to local authorities at the end of 2016 has still not been spent.

Around €28m was paid to local authorities in 2016 to deliver a number of schemes including CLÁR, the Rural Recreation Scheme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the REDZ scheme.  However, in reply to a Parliamentary Question, to Fianna Fáil Minister Michael Ring, admitted that €3.5m has still not been spent by councils.

“The figures reveal that in County Galway over €186,000 in rural development funding had not been spent up to April 2018. A breakdown of that figure shows that over €44,000 has been unspent by the Local Authority in County Galway in relation to the REDZ scheme up to April 2018 while over €18,000 was unspent in relation  to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme; over €28,000 unspent in relation to CLAR and over €96,000 unspent in County Galway in relation to the Rural Recreation Scheme,” said Deputy Murphy.

The Fianna Fáil TD went on to explain that the figures also showed that a sum of over €113,000 in rural development funding allocated to County Roscommon was unspent by April 2018.

“A sum of €59,668 was unspent in County Roscommon in relation to the Town and Village scheme while €54,055 was unspent in the county in relation to CLAR funding by the end of April 2018,” said Deputy Murphy.

“Communities across the country are crying out for investment, but this government is failing to ensure delivery of important projects.  Once again we see a hands-off approach from the Minister, which is leaving these very communities in the lurch.

“Minister Ring should be liaising with the local authorities and insisting that this money is spent or demand that it is returned to the Department so that it can be redistributed to other areas.

“Many rural communities are struggling for survival and it is a shame to see this level of underspending when there is such a vital need for investment in rural communities, “concluded Deputy Murphy. by Local Authorities - Murphy

Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has hit out at Minister Michael Ring for not insisting that all of the money paid out to local authorities in rural development funding is spent efficiently.

Following a PQ reply to Fianna Fáil it emerged that €3.5m in funding paid out to local authorities at the end of 2016 has still not been spent.

Around €28m was paid to local authorities in 2016 to deliver a number of schemes including CLÁR, the Rural Recreation Scheme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the REDZ scheme.  However, in reply to a Parliamentary Question, to Fianna Fáil Minister Michael Ring, admitted that €3.5m has still not been spent by councils.

“The figures reveal that in County Galway over €186,000 in rural development funding had not been spent up to April 2018. A breakdown of that figure shows that over €44,000 has been unspent by the Local Authority in County Galway in relation to the REDZ scheme up to April 2018 while over €18,000 was unspent in relation  to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme; over €28,000 unspent in relation to CLAR and over €96,000 unspent in County Galway in relation to the Rural Recreation Scheme,” said Deputy Murphy.

The Fianna Fáil TD went on to explain that the figures also showed that a sum of over €113,000 in rural development funding allocated to County Roscommon was unspent by April 2018.

“A sum of €59,668 was unspent in County Roscommon in relation to the Town and Village scheme while €54,055 was unspent in the county in relation to CLAR funding by the end of April 2018,” said Deputy Murphy.

“Communities across the country are crying out for investment, but this government is failing to ensure delivery of important projects.  Once again we see a hands-off approach from the Minister, which is leaving these very communities in the lurch.

“Minister Ring should be liaising with the local authorities and insisting that this money is spent or demand that it is returned to the Department so that it can be redistributed to other areas.

“Many rural communities are struggling for survival and it is a shame to see this level of underspending when there is such a vital need for investment in rural communities, “concluded Deputy Murphy.