Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising the issue. Louth County Council did have a successful €7.5 million application in Dundalk for the St. Nicholas Quarter and Backlands regeneration project under the latest funding announcement for the URDF and that should be acknowledged. The Government is committed to Drogheda, and we understand the disappointment with the application which was not successful. The application was not recommended by the project advisory board, which made the recommendations. That advisory board is made up of civil servants with specialist expertise in the various sectoral areas, and representatives from other Departments and Government agencies, as appropriate. The board used the criteria of the URDF to make its assessment and sent its recommendations to the Minister. The Minister has held back money from the fund to address unsuccessful applications that can be strengthened. It is critical for the local authority to re-engage fully with this process.

The Minister has committed to re-engaging with Deputies O'Dowd and Munster and other local representatives, as well as the local authority, to improve the submission or identify alternative funding routes that may be more appropriate.

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