Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the same matter that was mentioned some moments ago. The Minister must be aware of the comprehensive report published yesterday by the All-Island Research Observatory at Maynooth University, which states that Cork County Council had the lowest levels of funding over the past number of decades, including the lowest CLÁR funding per capitadespite having the highest population eligible for the programme. It had the fourth lowest level of LEADER funding, despite our population, and the lowest rate of funding for rural regeneration and town and village renewal schemes, local improvement schemes and greenway funding. The report indicates it will take 52 years to bring Cork County Council roads up to standard. I can certainly tell the Minister that our roads are not safe, as he said they were a while ago. Come down to west Cork and I will drive him around. I will shock him with the potholes and the scandalous level of repairs to the roads arising from a lack of funding.

This report vindicates my position since 2016 fighting for funding for west Cork. Every Taoiseach and Minister since has refused to give proper funding to Cork.

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