Following the announcement by Failte Ireland on Thursday last (as reported HERE by Drogheda Life) of a €19m fund to improve facilities at beaches throughout the State, Sinn Féin Councillor Tom Cunningham demanded to know why Louth was ignored despite having Blue and Green Flag beaches.
Speaking at today’s Louth County Council meeting, Cllr Cunningham said the idea of the funding was to develop state of the art facilities for outdoor water based activities and he pointed out that both Clogherhead and Termonfeckin in the south of the county and Omeath in the north are three prime candidates that would benefit from this funding.
“Realising that Louth had been excluded was like a kick in the teeth for the County” Councillor Cunningham said, adding that this was “the second kick we have had recently in relation to funding (referring to the PANCR) and I want to know why we were excluded.”
However Council officials informed Cllr Cunningham that they were unaware of this funding being available and have committed to apply under the second tranche which will not be until 2023.
Cllr Cunningham said “Clogherhead has Blue Flag beaches, Termonfeckin has a Green Flag beach and if we are serious about developing tourism in this part of the County then we need to get our finger out and be on top of things like this.
“I can’t even get the Council to put a handrail up on a slipway at Port Oriel despite it being a health and safety issue so I’m not surprised that this has been yet another disaster.
“As more and more people are taking up water based activities this is no longer just a summer hobby or pastime. The Pandemic has reminded people of the tourism jewels on our doorsteps and we are seeing an increased number of locals and visitors taking advantage of this. Louth needs to seize these opportunities at every turn.
“Once again, our community has lost out on reaching its potential at a time when the business community really needs a boost.
Councillor Cunningham said he will be contacting the Minister to ask why this happened and how we can ensure that it won’t happen again.
See also:
Louth and Meath omitted from €19m tourism fund for water-based activities
Council turns down request for swimmers safety rail at Port Oriel
