Drogheda TD, Fergus O’Dowd, has received confirmation that the €200k awarded in February of 2020 to Louth County Council to develop the Mell Greenway has been lost.
O’Dowd said “My colleague Minister Heather Humphreys confirmed the news to me on Wednesday, Minister Humphreys had previously granted numerous extensions to the council on foot of my requests to safeguard the investment for Drogheda.
“This is incredibly disappointing news and at a time when every penny counts it really is a poor reflection on the council.
“There is simply no excuse for this to happen given that the council have had three years to progress the project, their original proposal should have been reworked to secure the funding for the existing walkway if their initial plans were not feasible.
O’Dowd added “We are seeing increased government focus on Drogheda with increased investment and support across keys areas and we simply cannot afford to lose any investment in our town as it continues its journey into a city.
“Whilst this may the end of a very disappointing saga, I would encourage the council to make sure they get all of their ducks in a row before a fresh application is submitted, which the Minister and I will fully support.”
In her response to Deputy O’Dowd’s question Minster Hather Humphries said:
“My officials have continued to engage with Louth County Council regarding the project. Unfortunately, despite extensions previously granted by my Department, I understand as of the end of March 2023 Louth County Council had still not commenced work on the project.
“As a consequence, I regret that my Department was left with no alternative at this stage other than to decommit funding for the project.”
