Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a letter of 8 March 2011 in which the former Minister of State with responsibility for housing and local services approved funding of €500,000 towards the enhancement of O'Connell Street, Sligo; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that the total estimated cost of the enhancement of O'Connell Street is €5,016,466, and when the balance of €3,216,822 which was sought by Sligo Borough Council for the enhancement of the street will be provided; the conditions, if any, the former Minister of State attached to the allocation of the €500,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10532/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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My Department is providing a capital allocation of €2 million to Sligo Borough Council in 2011 in respect of proposals for the regeneration of the Eastern Quadrant of Sligo. This includes a provision of €500,000 in respect of improvement works to facilitate the pedestrianisation of O'Connell Street.

My Department understands the Borough Council is at present preparing a programme of works in this regard, details of which will be submitted for consideration and approval. Any conditions attaching to the recoupment of the capital funding will be set out in the formal response to this submission.

Sligo Borough Council submitted a number of proposals under the Gateway Innovation Fund (GIF) in 2007, including a proposal for the enhancement of O'Connell Street. Funding decisions under the GIF were deferred in 2008 due to the prevailing budgetary conditions and no budgetary provision was made in respect of the GIF for 2011.