Tourism

Additional funding for roads in Wicklow a further boost – Doyle

Andrew 2015, Health, Tourism, Wicklow - East Carlow

wicklow-gap-1Following on from the opening of the M11 Arklow/Rathnew bypass, Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow Andrew Doyle, has welcomed the allocation of an additional €548,950 for local roads in Wicklow. This forms part of an additional €100 million investment in Transport Tourism and Sport, of which €34 million nationally is going towards maintaining and maintaining and strengthening our national, regional and local roads network with €60 million going towards public transport.

“Infrastructure is pivotal to economic success and is vitally important in Wicklow, given our varied landscape throughout the County which is so central to our tourism sector. Since the economic collapse, there has been under investment in roads and public transport. With the economy recovering, there is now scope to increase funding and to reinvest in this critical infrastructure.

“An additional €4.2 million will be allocated nationally to tourism related projects, including further development of Ireland’s Ancient East Corridor, that Wicklow is part of, and the Wild Atlantic Way. Indeed this is very welcome news as the total overseas trips to Ireland for the first six months of 2015 were up by 12% on the corresponding period in 2014.

“As we build on the progress we have been making in recent years, with our commitment to job creation well on track and our tourism industries continuing to grow, this is all very positive.

“Managing an economy in recovery needs to be prudent and pragmatic and now with greater demands on our public transport and on our road networks, the additional funding is very much welcome in ensuring we maintain high quality road networks and transport in Wicklow”.is very much welcome in ensuring we maintain high quality road networks and transport in Wicklow”

 

 

Fine Gael is standing up for rural Ireland – Doyle

Andrew 2015, Agriculture, Communications, Education, Environment, Jobs Enterprise Innovation, Tourism, Transport, Wicklow - East Carlow

CJz1A0VWsAA66Ih“Fine Gael is standing up for rural Ireland and working hard to spread the fruits of the economic recovery across the country, which will benefit Wicklow and Carlow,” according to Fine Gael TD Andrew Doyle. Deputy Doyle was speaking after the Taoiseach, launched Fine Gael’s campaign “Standing up for Rural Ireland” today (Friday).

“While nationally the economic recovery is well underway, Fine Gael is working to ensure we spread the benefits to every town and village, parish and home across rural Ireland and this of course includes Wicklow and Carlow.

“Job creation has been the absolute priority of this Government. Nationally over 100,000 jobs have been created since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs but Fine Gael recognises the potential of rural Ireland and we know that we can support more new businesses to set up and support existing businesses to employ more people. In Wicklow the Live Register has decreased by 15% since the launch of our Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. Across Carlow the drop has been 11%.

“The agri-food sector is a big part of this recovery and it is thriving once again. The new CAP deal negotiated under the Irish Presidency of the EU will see 60,000 farmers receive an increase in payments and the €4 billion Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will develop the economic and social fabric of rural communities.

“A key part of growing economies in rural Ireland is broadband. Since this Government came into office high speed broadband was only available to 300,000 homes in Ireland. That figure has grown to well over a million homes. That is a major jump but we were coming from a very low base. My colleagues and I in the Fine Gael parliamentary party want to see dedicated funding put in place to ensure universal next generation broadband coverage is fully delivered as soon as possible. Broadband is a key driver in continuing to grow and support rural Ireland. That is why we need to see dedicated funding to back up the National Broadband plan.”