A bitter pill to swallow Leo

Dear Editor,

It was most discouraging and disappointing to discover that our Taoiseach Leo Varadkar while Minister for Transport, was instrumental in having an application for EU funding for transport projects in the west and north-west of our country dropped in 2011. (Sligo Champion April 10).

Projects like the up-grading of Sligo and Galway airports, and the development of the western rail corridor were withdrawn from the EU-wide transport programme in 2011 at the behest of Mr. Varadkar. The Ministers decision at the time deprived transport projects north of Limerick, of any prospect before 2030 of qualifying for EU funding.

After all the fanfare and large media build-up to the launching of the Project Ireland 2040 National Planning Framework by our Taoiseach in Sligo only a couple of months ago, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

So where now stands the west and north-west of Ireland in terms of obtaining EU funding for vital infrastructure projects essential to the development of the whole region.

Nowhere it appears as we are once again on the ‘ hind-tit.’

There is a line in our constitution that we cherish all of the children of the nation equally. It seems that it is acceptable for government representatives to come to the north-west region to make big national announcements, while at the same time excluding the western half of the country from vital EU funding, that would help to provide much needed balanced regional development and equality. Regards,

Tom Towey, Cloonacool,