The vibrancy of communities in Duhallow and North Cork has never been as bright with several exciting projects in the pipeline.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West Michael Moynihan stressed the importance of ensuring communities in rural areas are not left behind in terms of infrastructure and facilities. “We are working on a lot of projects. We want to make sure that the wastewater treatment plants in each village and town are upgraded. We want to make sure that the planning permission for rural Ireland is in place.”
The Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion at the Department of Education said the Irish Government are constantly looking at pushing for housing, planning, schools, school communities, disability services and school buses. “The vibrancy of our community in Duhallow and North Cork has never been as bright. Several small communities are increasing their teacher numbers and people are looking at living and working in rural Ireland. We must ensure that policy at national level is protected. We can’t put everything into the cities.”
A key priority for Deputy Moynihan is the M20 which is a vital project for North Cork and especially Charleville. “The other great enabler for us is the M20 and that is the road between Cork and Limerick. It is a huge project for us in North Cork, the town of Charleville and its environs. It is the major capital project for the State.
“We are looking at planning permission going in for a relief road in Charleville before the end of the year. We have a lot of investment in schools and sports facilities,” he added.
Mininster Moynihan also stressed the importance of North Cork Creameries in Duhallow. “They are a hugely important piece of the infrastructure in Duhallow. We have seen the expansion of a huge number of jobs in Charleville. We are working with local communities and Section 38 and 39 organisations to advance to the next stage. Our communities are going well. We have huge pride in this part of the world, and we will continue to have that pride.”
Another key priority for Minister Moynihan is the equine therapy centre in Kanturk.
The Kiskeam native said the centre will provide a tailored approach to support individuals and families across North Cork and the broader region. “The sod has been turned for the development of Kanturk Equine Assisted Therapy Centre, Regional Children’s Respite and Residential Centre. I have invested a lot of time in that project. We need to get it built now.”