Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the fact that there will be an enhanced scheme. In her response the Minister outlined some of the focus on the areas. Last year, €380,000 came to County Kildare to Athy, Kildare town, Ballymore Eustace, Timolin, Ballitore and Prosperous. The €95,000 towards the upgrade of the town square in Athy is crucial as is the €95,000 towards a framework plan for Kildare town. However, in the smaller villages such as Ballitore, which the Minister visited yesterday, the Tanyard project is a key example of a village that will benefit greatly from the investment. Another example is Ballymore Eustace, with €45,000 towards the landscape enhancement, €20,000 towards a feature entrance to Timolin and €100,000 for the plan in Prosperous. When will applications for 2017 have to be in for the rural communities that have seen the projects I have outlined and which are enviously planning their own projects for the year ahead?

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