The long hold up on the progress of the Shrule village enhancement scheme looks to have finally been resolved with the announcement of the sanctioning of €163,943 for the project. The enhancement scheme had been held up for more than a year over the funding issue after work had initially started. The new funding for the scheme will be given by South West Mayo Development Company following approval for the payment by the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan. The project will be co-funded by Mayo County Council and the hold up in the scheme had seen a number of elected local officials expressing their upset.
Minister of State for Tourism, Michael Ring, said this week: “This project, which is co-funded by Mayo council, consists of cabling being placed underground, the addition of ornamental street lighting, and the provision of paving slabs. The project is the culmination of the hard work of Shrule Community Council Village Enhancement Group. It will be of immense benefit to Shrule, giving them a streetscape they can be proud of, and it will serve to keep the village alive and vibrant, giving a sense of place to everyone living there. I know it will improve the quality of life and will strengthen the social and economic fabric for all the inhabitants of Shrule and the surrounding area.”
Minister Phil Hogan said: “The project will now go back to the board of South West Mayo Development Company Limited for the final approval on the project. This is in line with the EU’s ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development.”
