Donegal islands have been given a Government cash injection of €450,000.
The money will be provided to Donegal County Council to carry out improvement works on various islands in the county in 2017 – with 25pc matching funding from the council the investment will be more than €600,000.
The islands concerned are Árainn Mhór, Toraigh and Oileán an Bhráighe.
The cash allocation has been welcomed by Minister Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Joe McHugh T.D and deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher.
Arranmore will see more than 4km of road improvements including the road from the pier as part of a total investment of €244,500.
Extensive works will also take place on Tory with an investment sign-off of €187,500.
Island Roy is to get €18,750 for causeway repairs.
Funding for other islands in the state were announced three weeks ago.
Islands and Gaeltacht Minister McHugh said today: “I am delighted to make this announcement for our Donegal islands today.
“This financial assistance being provided by my Department to Donegal County Council facilitates the improvement of infrastructure on Donegal’s islands and it is further evidence of my Department’s commitment to supporting our offshore islands.
“The islands and its inhabitants are an important part of who we all are as a nation and providing infrastructural improvements is key to improving and enhancing island life.”
Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher said the funding has come “as a response to political pressure exerted by me since original announcement by the Government which omitted all Donegal Islands from the Capital Islands funding programme.”
Pat the Cope raised the matter in the Dáil and by way of written question to the Minister and Roinn na Gaeltachta, the original decision by the Government was an outrage when almost €1 million was announced for Islands nationwide but not one single cent for the Donegal Islands.
Pat the Cope is glad to confirm that the Roinn are in a position to confirm funding for the Donegal Island roads, this I am requesting the do without further delay as this entire debacle has been an embarrassment to the Government thus far.
“I am expecting that the Island roads confirmed as priority by the Council will be funded in the subsequent years as todays allocation is only first step in dealing with the legacy of under investment on the Donegal islands since 2011 and I will be maintaining pressure on the Roinn to introduce a multi annual rolling programme of roads funding for all Donegal islands in order to deal with the backlog of infrastructural needs on our Islands.
“I am delighted that on this occasion the Government have yielded to political pressure and reversed their original decision not to fund Donegal Island roads,” concluded Pat the Cope.
