Abandoned Mayo travel scheme an 'absolute farce'
The situation has been described as farcical. Pic: iStock
An Active Travel Scheme in Balla has been described as an “absolute farce".
Cllr Donna Sheridan told a meeting of Castlebar Municipal District that €2m was provided by the project from Heathlawn to Polavaddy. She said the scheme was started and then abandoned halfway through.
“Fabulous road, fabulous cycle way and then, boom, it stops when you get to the bridge,” said Cllr Sheridan. “We had two public consultations, we had worked with the community, we have all went out out to that crossroads at Ardboley and stood with the community there. For the Minister not to include that in the Active Travel Programme is just farcical,” said Cllr Sheridan.
She proposed that Minister Darragh O’Brien meet with local councillors and the Balla community to explain “this absolutely absurd decision".
“There is no point wasting public money where faceless bureaucrats are looking at schemes, taking them to the level where a decision is made and it’s going out for planning and then not funding it.
“They should be up before the Public Accounts Committee for wasting public money,” said Cllr Sheridan.
“I’m calling out Transport Infrastructure Ireland. I’m asking us to write to the Minister, ask him to come down here, face us and the people of Balla and tell us how he can defend his decision,” she stated.
Residents from Ardboley, Rathduff, Pollavaddy and the wider Balla community had voiced concerns following confirmation that TII had declined to approve the €615,000 in funding sought by Mayo County Council to progress the local active travel project in 2026. Minister of State Alan Dillon said he has has engaged with the Minister for Transport, TII and Mayo County Council to seek clarification on the decision-making process.
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
