Cavan County Councillor, John Paul Feeley has welcomed the allocation of € 45,000 under the CLÁR Scheme to upgrade Annagh Lake Amenity Area just outside Butlerbridge.
‘For generation, this area at Annagh Lake has been used for swimming and recreation. It is always busy be in for a Christmas Swim or in good weather as well as hosting annual Irish Water Safety Swimming Lessons.’
‘Whilst some of the facilities such as the carpark are excellent the toilet block and changing facilities are dated, difficult to maintain and not attractive to users.’
This investment will allow the Council to install changing facilities, BBQ & picnic facilities, upgrade existing paths and create a biodiversity area. All of which will be welcome improvements to this picturesque location.
‘Over the past months I have worked closely with Council officials and representatives of the local community to develop this proposal. I want to acknowledge the input of local community representatives and huge amount of work done by Council officials.’
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GP service must be sustained in Swanlinbar – Feeley
Tomorrow marks an end of an era in Swanlinbar with the retirement of Dr. Kevin Deering as GP in the community. After many years of valued service to the people of Swanlinbar and surrounding areas. I wish him many years of healthy and happy retirement.
Not just in recent days but since I heard of Dr. Deering’s retirement I have been in regular contact with the HSE to impress on them the need to appoint a new GP to serve the people of the area and ensure continuity of service as has Brendan Smith TD.
I am pleased that a locum doctor will be in place from next week and that the HSE are committed to maintaining the service into the future. It is essential that continuity of service is maintained so that there is a viable practice there for a doctor to take up in the near future.
The HSE have advertised the position and are now considering the applications received. If no application is successful the the position will be re-offered. As far as I am concerned all the time necessary must be given to ensure that a GP service is maintained in Swanlinbar.
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Minister needs to put in place sensible Covid-19 Regulations for Marts – Feeley
Councillor John Paul Feeley has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD to urgently intervene to ensure that Covid-19 regulations are amended to allow buyers back into the Marts so that buyers can bid around the ring and farmers can get a fair price.
‘Farmers and mart managers were very happy with the arrangements in place prior to this most recent lockdown. Buyers and sellers were able to keep an eye on trading via on-line methods and bid along with those obeying social distancing around the ring. Under the new restrictions all trading must be done on-line. In many marts the broadband infrastructure is not there and in reality buyers have to be able to see the animals they want to buy move around the ring before they will part with their money.’
‘Most importantly, these weeks are the only opportunity many suckler farmers have to sell their weanlings. They are entitled to get the best possible price and the current restrictions are preventing that happening. Huge numbers of animals are coming on the market at this time and action is urgently needed.’
‘Farmers and mart operators are hugely aware of the need to obey restrictions. They know what is at stake here and must be given the chance to operate in a safe way which allows farmers the chance to get a proper and fair price.’
We have the ridiculous situation of buyers sitting around outside marts trying to get a broadband connection and waiting with jeep and trailer to collect animals they might buy when they should be able to go in and observing the need to wear masks and observe social distancing, bid for the animals they want, create the competition needed to give farmers the price to which they are entitled.
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€ 12 million won’t Cleary Cavan’s LIS backlog- Feeley
Cavan County Council hold 222 applications under the Local Improvement Scheme the oldest of which are six dating back to 2008.
The allocation of € 269,240 in 2020 funded the completion of 4 lanes the same numbers as were done in 2019. The more substantial allocation of € 636,680 in 2018 allowed 12 lanes to be completed.
Given the level of funding provided in the past three years completed 20 lanes there is no end in sight for applicants on the list.
Cavan County Council have not assessed any of the applications received in 2018, 2019 or 2020 as there is no realistic possibility of getting these roads done.
In 2012, then Minister Hogan admitted to Cavan County Council that the decision of the then Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar TD was ‘a bit harsh’. As that stage we felt it very unfair that we had a waiting list of sixty-four. I would be very happy if the list was down to those levels again!
The failure of Government to make any allocation for a number of years has led to this disastrous situation. Even if the 2011 level of funding had been maintained it would have kept the list ticking-over, some lanes that are now in a total mess could have been repaired at a lot less cost.
At this stage Minister Ryan as Minister for Transport and Minister Humphreys as Minister for Rural and Community Development need to come together to provide a further allocation in 2020, a substantial allocation in 2021 and a commitment to sustained allocations in the coming years so that applicants can have some hope of getting work done.
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