East Mayo anger over exclusion from Active Travel funding

The author of a proposal to install road infrastructure to facilitate cyclists and walkers on the R323 route between Ballyhaunis, Knock and Kiltimagh has described the omission of any Active Travel funding for the East Mayo region as discrimination against that side of the county.

Funding of €4 million was awarded last week to 34 walking and cycling projects in Mayo, but none of the projects are in the east of the county.

Mary Niland, who in 2021 submitted a proposal for an Active Travel Corridor, including a walk and cycle lane, between Ballyhaunis, Knock and Kiltimagh, has pointed out that such a facility would connect numerous key sites including the Marian Shrine, GAA Connacht Centre of Excellence and key employment sites like Western Brand.

A long-serving member of several community groups in Bekan, Knock and Kiltimagh, Ms Niland explained: “The proposal was submitted to Deputy Alan Dillon, Minister Heather Humphries and others in 2021. Instead, we see [funding] for a route along the N60 between Balla and Claremorris - with little or nothing on this route compared to [the sites on the] R323.” 

Deputy Dillon explained that while he had presented the proposal to Mayo County Council it was the council that evaluated all proposals for Active Travel funding and which selected projects for the Department of Transport. He said his office has been “inundated” with complaints since the Mayo recipients of Active Travel funding were announced and he is now calling for more transparency around the selection criteria and procedures followed by council staff in selecting the projects. 

“It’s the Active Travel team in Mayo County Council that has executive responsibility for choosing projects,” said Deputy Dillon who believes that feedback to communities on why projects were not selected would also be appropriate. “I will follow up myself, I have had numerous projects struck down,” he added.

A senior council official said the selection of projects for Active Travel funding was dictated by the designation of the county’s three largest towns – Ballina, Castlebar and Westport – as Active Travel towns, with a public transport plan (drafted by the council) in place for transport linkages to other adjacent villages and towns. Similar plans will gradually be drawn up for other towns, at which point cycling and walking linkages to adjacent sites will be funded, said the official. Some shovel-ready projects relating to safe school travel, including a project in Ballinrobe, were also chosen in the latest round of funding, he added.

The transparency of the selection process, meanwhile, is also questioned by Mary Niland. She has posed numerous questions on how projects are selected for the Active Travel scheme, among them: “Is there an open call and is the call published? Are there any community consultations? Is there a marking scheme and is this published? Who shortlists the projects? Is it councillors, TDs or council officials…?” 

Kilkelly-based Fianna Fáil Cllr John Caulfield is more hopeful that the Ballyhaunis-Kiltimagh project will happen in the long-term. 

“I intend to have that addressed. I am confident it will happen," he said, adding that it will require “major funding”. 

As for an east-west bias in terms of funding across the county, Cllr Caulfield said western communities were also unhappy with funding allocations last week.

Likewise, Ballyhaunis-based Cllr John Cribbin said he believes the project will proceed “over the long term” as there are "substantial ground works involved”, which means a multi-million euro budget would be required.

Cllr Cribbin is himself lobbying for the restoration of €210,000 in Active Travel funding for works in Ballyhaunis - funds that were to be spent making the Dublin Road approach to the railway bridge safer for pedestrians. The funds were cut without explanation. 

“I am hopeful they will be reinstated,” said Cllr Cribbin.

The €210,000 in Active Travel funding for Ballyhaunis is likely to be drawn down once preparatory works required by Transport Infrastructure Ireland - the state agency overseeing infrastructure - are completed locally, said the senior Mayo County official.

Eighteen local community groups supported the proposal drafted by Ms Niland. 

“The proposed project could be progressed in stages, commencing with the population centres of Ballyhaunis and Knock and working outwards.” 

Several factors were outlined in the 2021 proposal supporting the rationale for a walkway and cycle land between Ballyhaunis and Kiltimagh. 

"Ballyhaunis hosts the most diverse population in the country, a high proportion of whom, particularly those in direct provision, would not have access to cars," said Ms Niland. "Ballyhaunis has a very sizable employer base and a significant number of employers are located on this route.

“This Active Travel project will act as a catalyst to add to the destination in future years, co-operating with adjoining local authorities, and linking with active travel routes and greenways within those counties to provide an East–West smarter travel and greenway system.” 

The proposal aligns with national and Mayo County Council strategy on rural development and sustainable travel, said Ms Niland, who also referenced the National Strategic Outcomes of Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities.

Paul Lawless, local election candidate for Aontú, pointed out that many of the employees working in Ballyhaunis factories walk or cycle to work – “particularly those in Dawn Meats and Western Brand Chickens.” 

Knock, he said, has also been entirely left out of the funding programme. 

"Knock is an international tourist destination with over 1.5 million visitors every year. Furthermore, there is a significant health and safety need to link Knock village and the soccer club with a safe active travel route. Despite this, Knock has received no funding under the Active Travel Scheme.”