Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

I will be extremely parochial with my contribution. We are a year on now since the general election. Large-scale sport infrastructure funding was granted to Cork County Council, North Cork Athletics Club and Mallow Athletic Club for an athletics track at Carhookeal in Mallow. Speaking last year, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, said the project would be developed in the short term on a use it or lose it basis. One year later, nothing has progressed. This is not the short term. It is my understanding that all documentation requested by the Minister of State's Department has now been submitted by the applicants. There are now serious concerns in relation to the viability of the funding and whether it is still on the table as an option, and in relation to the gateways being put before the local authority and both the athletics clubs.

I commend the local authority and both athletics clubs on what they have done to try to progress this project. It will be a significant one for the area and is a development so badly needed in what is a rundown centre. It was previously the GAA centre in Mallow. It is important that we progress this project as quickly as possible because there is extreme disappointment out there. Before the general election last year, a fantastic announcement was made by the Government of €2 million in grant funding. Ministers went on the radio and said this was going to be provided in the short term. We are now a year on and we have not seen one single thing done about it. Barriers are being put up concerning the amount of paperwork that needs to be submitted by the applicants. I ask the Minister of State and his Department to progress this project as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister of State to engage with me and my office in relation to getting a letter from the Department that I could produce to the members of athletics clubs and to members of the community that would show his commitment to the project for the Mallow athletics track in the short term.

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