Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

Perfect. I do not know the exact figure of how much was granted but I know €50,000 was granted last year. Putting it bluntly, that is a measly amount of money to try to progress the project. When the witnesses go to get the figures for how much has been granted towards the Mallow to Dungarvan greenway, I would ask that they do so in terms of whether the project is dead in the water completely. That is the feeling on the ground. Looking at the Department’s figures, it is evident that there are other significant greenway projects in Cork that have been allocated money. Reading between the lines, and I do not mean to be disrespectful, it is ironic there is no Government TD in Mallow. There has been such a measly amount of money granted to the Mallow to Dungarvan greenway. The feeling on the ground is that people have no faith in the Department to progress the project. Once the witnesses have looked into the amount of funding, I would appreciate that the ongoing conversation in the Department on the allocation of funding to this greenway would be sympathetic to those who have advocated for that project for a number of years.

Second, the single biggest infrastructure project for my home town of Mallow, which has been spoken about before I was even born, is the Mallow relief road. I totally understand that allocation is made by Transport Infrastructure Ireland every year around February or March through allocations given to it by the Department. My fundamental belief is that it should be a stand-alone project for the Department. Has the Department ever considered the Mallow relief road to be a stand-alone project rather than being put into the general budget for Transport Infrastructure Ireland?