Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Chair for the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. The village of Pettigo in south-west Donegal, straddling the Border between Fermanagh and Donegal, is probably one of the most forgotten villages in the country. Many people, including some from as far away as the Minister of State's constituency, have a passing familiarity with Pettigo because it is the last posting stage for a famous place of pilgrimage, Lough Derg.

Pettigo in Donegal and its sister village across the river, Tullyhommon in Fermanagh, are in the unusual position of being divided in two by the North-South Border, the Termon River. The community has been isolated for many years due to the troubles and missed out on development infrastructure. Area Development Management has identified Pettigo as an area of extreme poverty and disadvantage. While Tullyhommon had a population of 81 people in the 2001 census, Pettigo has a population of approximately 440 as far as I can judge from familiarity with the register there.

In common with many areas located within the Border region, Pettigo in Donegal and Tullyhommon in County Fermanagh are striving to recover from their experience as challenged social and economic blackspots with a negligible community infrastructure. While once a thriving market village on the great northern railway line, the village has suffered from the demise of the railway in the 1950s and the closure of numerous cross-Border roads during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The latter had the effect of cutting Pettigo off from much of its rural hinterland in Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone. Hence, there was a withdrawal of services, a reduction in investment, an absence of economic investment and employment opportunities, the stigma associated with proximity to the areas of conflict, a reduction in cross-Border traffic and social interaction, an increase in emigration, a decline in tourism and increased isolation of our already marginalised sectors, including farm families, the elderly and youth. Chronic unemployment, stubborn barriers to cross-Border trade and a dangerously low level of infrastructure and capital investment have led to minimal indigenous enterprise creation and an overall physical decline in the visual aspect of the village and its environs. Investment is desperately needed in the village, where dereliction continues to cause a problem with many buildings neglected and in disrepair in its centre. This does not project a positive image to the passerby, the tourist or whoever else may visit. The public toilets are in an extremely bad state too and not very inviting for anyone to use.

The future of the much needed playschool and after-school facility hangs in the balance as it has funding in place for staffing costs only until December. Depletion of services continues and last year two local businesses closed. All these issues are of concern and illustrate why the village needs major investment boosts such as a tax incentive initiative which would entice developers and ultimately create employment.

The Association for the Development of Pettigo and Tullyhommon, ADoPT's, Peace II funding expires at the end of December and further funding is essential to allow staff to continue to exploit future opportunities for the area. ADoPT has an old mill in which it would like to create workspace. The old stone outbuildings at the mill could be perfect to provide much needed respite care for the elderly. This would require a great deal of hard work, commitment and funding.

While the area is experiencing some growth in terms of new housing and residential development, the project promoters concluded that there was an imminent need for parallel social and community development that would reduce the marginalisation of communities on both sides of the Border and deepen the concept of cross-Border advancement partnership.

Pettigo community seems to have been forgotten. It is not mentioned in the Donegal county development plan 2006-12. Pettigo and Tullyhommon's socioeconomic data form a stark and compelling background to the need to enhance facilities and infrastructure for community development.

I am glad the Minister of State from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is here to respond to this matter. Perhaps he could pass my comments to other Departments because unless something is done rapidly the future for Pettigo and its people will be bleak.

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