Some new projects ‘30 years’ in the making
THERE was a heated exchange of views between Sligo County Council Chief Executive Ciarán Hayes and Fine Gael Councillor Hubert Keaney over alleged lack of ambition on the part of Sligo County Council over the Garavogue Eastern Bridge project, the Stephen Street Plaza and O’Connell Street developments.
The meeting was told that all three projects were “shovel ready” but Sligo would have to compete against other areas for funding to build them.
Hayes said he totally rejected a suggestion from Cllr Keaney that the council showed any lack of ambition in these matters: “I completely reject that suggestion out of hand”.
He told the meeting that the council had acquired 16.7 acres of land in a central location within a few hundred metres of Sligo University Hospital, Sligo IT and O’Connell Street.
He said there was considerable funding for towns and villages renewals and the Urban Regional Development Fund helped to the development of the Eastern Garavogue Bridge scheme.
The total cost of the bridge is ¤20-¤22m and will be devel- oped in three phases starting in 2021.
Hayes added there was a commitment from the government that this project would be in their Capital Plan.
Responding, Cllr Keaney said he was disappointed that the Council had not shown more ambition.
He acknowledged the progress made but said a date for the O’Connell Street facelift had been given two years ago.
He said if Sligo was to benefit from any national funding it needed to come up with matching funding and some “hard political decisions” needed to be taken.
“It is all about money and we have to come up with it”.
Councillor Keaney said this was a chamber where people speak their mind and that was not taking away from the great work done.
“But I have the right to point out some things in relation to the three projects. Some of them were 30 years in the making and were mooted when I was a student in Sligo IT.
He said he would not be put down by someone taking credit for projects that were on the agenda long before the CEO came to “our county”.