Galway makes region look good
LOCAL COUNCILLOR DONAL GILROY SPEAKS ABOUT MEETING WITH MINISTER RYAN ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SLIGO, and surrounding counties, will continue to underperform if more funding is not allocated to enhance infrastructure in the region according to one local councillor.
Cllr Donal Gilroy, who is chair of the Border Strategic Planning area, was one of five councillors from the West and North West who attended a virtual meeting with Minister for Transport, Climate, Communications and Environment Eamon Ryan last Friday.
On the call, which also included a contribution from the North West Regional Assembly Director David Minton, councillors had an opportunity to impress on the Minister the need for an increase in investment for Sligo and other counties in this part of the country.
It is understood that while the North West region is categorised as a ‘region in transition’ by European Union standards, it is closer in 2021 to being classified as a ‘ less developed region’.
“If you took Galway out of the equation, it’d be worse,” Cllr Gilroy told The Sligo Champion.
“Galway is making this region seem more developed than it actually is because all of the money is flowing into it.
“Funds that are being made available for the region are going there, but they should be made available for the less developed part of the region like Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Donegal, Monaghan, Cavan and Leitrim.”
The Fianna Fáil councillor, who was joined by colleagues from Galway and Monaghan, emphasised the importance of a change in approach in the National Development Plan. This was particularly important in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has fundamentally changed the way we live, he said.
“There’s a big issue about the plan being based on town centres first. Although he [Minister Ryan] did say that town centre first does not mean it’s against the country areas, they are secondary and for me that’s a big worry that rural areas and small villages would be forgotten about.
“It came from all of the councillors in the different areas that this is an issue, that people are getting more and more aggravated about this and the policies are going to have to reflect that.
“I made the point that the National Development Plan was all drawn up in a time that was pre- Covid, we’re now in a totally different world. The types of living, the requirements for a home office in every house is now an issue, that’s like adding a bedroom to every single house that is built, and the National Development Plan makes no space for that.”
There was also discussion surrounding the Western Rail Corridor, and what might become of the old rail line between Sligo and Galway.
There have been calls for the line to reopen to rail traffic, while others have been active in planning for the disused line to become a greenway.
Cllr Gilroy says he believes that whatever the outcome, the decision as to what will become of the old line should be made by the Minister at central government level, and not by local county councils. Based on that decision, a greenway or a reopening of the line could then proceed on that basis.
“I would like to see the railway open, but I
believe we are never going to find a government that is willing to put that sort of investment into the west of Ireland, of any party.
“He [Minister] basically said that it was back to Sligo and Mayo County Councils to go and sort it out between them,” Cllr Gilroy explained on discussion surrounding the Western Rail Corridor and the proposed greenway.
“In my opinion, the councillors are not paid enough to make the decision as to whether that’s an abandoned railway or not.
“The Minister is paid to make that decision and previous ministers have failed to make it. If he doesn’t make the decision, he will also
be failing. Sligo as a Regional Growth Centre needs to have a railway line along the Western Corridor, I do believe, but I don’t think it’ ll be delivered by this government, even though I’m a member of one of the parties in this government, it hasn’t been delivered by any in the past and I don’t honestly think any of the others in the future will either.
“For that reason, there is no point in leaving it there idle for another 70 years like it has been for the last 70.”
Cllr Gilroy also says Minister Ryan indicated that the proposed greenway between Collooney and Enniskillen would be the first to proceed.