Minister to help find funds for dive boards

MINISTER of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin said he will do everything he can to help fund the restoration of Fenit’s diving boards following a visit to the site on Tuesday.

The boards were taken down amid public liability fears following a legal case over 15 years ago in a move long lamented by locals.

But a new campaign set up before Christmas is already meeting with success - chief of which was bringing the Minister out to the bathing slip this week.“It was my first time at the bathing slip and I was very impressed with the spot,” Minister Griffin told The Kerryman on Tuesday.

“I would love to see it happening as I think it would be very positive on a number of fronts and my advice to the members of the group was to get it ‘shovel ready’ and then we can be looking at the various potential avenues to fund it.”

Currently, he suggests it might be provided for via three sources: the Sports Capital Fund, Fáilte Ireland and the Towns and Village Renewal Scheme. “It would seem to satisfy criteria for all three, in so far as the dive boards would increase sports activity in Fenit for the Sports Capital fund; attract more people to the location from a Fáilte Ireland point of view and tick the box too in terms of the town and village scheme in what it could do for the village. It would also prove an additional boon for Fenit when it comes to developing the greenway from Tralee out along the old railway line,” Minister Griffin said.

Campaigner Billy Ryle said the group were delighted with the Minister’s attitude towards the project in a visit coming just a few weeks after the group made their proposal to Kerry County Council.

Photoby Domnick Walsh Members of the Fenit ‘ Restore Our Diving Boards’ campaign. Pictured at the diving slip in Fenit with Minister Brendan Griffin on Tuesday were Billy Ryle, Liam Doyle John Edwards and Mike O’Neill.