Donegal Islands left out of funding programme claims TD

A Donegal TD has called on Roinn na Gaeltachta to review the decision not to fund any of the Donegal Islands under the Islands Capital programme for road improvements.

Pat the Cope Gallagher, Fianna Fáil,  expressed his disappointment on how all the Donegal Islands were left off the Government funding programme, it defies logic as to how the Donegal Islands were ignored by the Government particularly in the context that many of these roads are in such poor state of repair at present.

"Some of these Islands were recently visited by various Government representatives so first-hand knowledge of the state of the roads infrastructure on the islands should have been known to them when the decision was being made.

"The entire programme of road improvements for the Donegal Islands is estimated at €3.2 million should the council propose  to Bitmac the roads or €1.149  million should the council wish to tar and chip the various roads -  either way the fact that no funding was made available  for any of the 22 roads proposed is a very worrying departure from the norm whereby all islands off the coast of Ireland are treated equally or pro rata to the their respective populations when funding is being allocated," he said.

He added: "Having raised the matter initially after the Government decision was announced last week – I have now obtained copies of the applications and the estimates provided to the Roinn for the Donegal island roads in question. The Council proposed to carry out improvements on 22 different roads spread out over the different Donegal Islands as part of their multi annual roads improvement programme and the Council provided estimates for all 22 roads which they intended to carry out works on."

He said he was calling on the Government to allocate funding for the Donegal Islands on a co-equal basis with all other island communities especially those which have already received funding in this year’s capital plan.