Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Clonmel has been overlooked. The regional strand of funding under the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, has been announced by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Some €500 million went to Cork and Limerick but Clonmel did not get pingin amháin. We had a lot of work done on this. The strands involved were phase 2 of the Kickham Barracks regeneration, the Clonmel Flights of Discovery tourism proposal, which includes the Bulmers lane project and Suir Island and a general public realm enhancement for the town. Much background work was done by our district administrator Michael Moroney and senior planner Jonathan Flood. All these submissions were assessed, got the green light and got approval but we did not get a penny. We cannot get a Garda station even though we have been raising it for 60 years here in the Dáil. We have planning permission and announcements but we need an explanation as to why our application for funding was unsuccessful. Clonmel serves 35,000 people. It used to be the biggest inland town in Ireland and it is now the second biggest. There are a huge number of people and a huge energy there but we need to get this funding for phase 2 to continue projects and to enhance our town. Above all, we want an explanation from the Minister as to why the applications failed.

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