News
National plan for local projects “lacks detail”

By Sean Moriarty
Several Killarney projects have been earmarked for funding in the new National Development Plan (NDP) that was announced last week.
However, Mayor of the Killarney Municipal District Marie Moloney said the document, despite running to 182 pages, lacks detail and clarity and that the people of Killarney “deserve to know exactly what is going on”.
Under the €165 billion plan, projects like the Killarney Community Nursing Unit, new amenities at Killarney National Park and the Destination Killarney marketing campaign have all been earmarked for funding.
The plan promises “investment in outdoor recreational facilities in Killarney National Park”, but Cllr Moloney said that this "lacks detail”.
“What are these additional facilities they are talking about? The National Park and Wildlife Services is not exactly known for its investment in the park,” she told the Killarney Advertiser. “This lacks detail and the people of Killarney deserve to know exactly what is going on."
The document, issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and entitled ‘Project Ireland 2040’ also mentions the Farranfore to Killarney new road scheme but this and other national road projects, she said “were part of the previous NDP and are subject to further approvals”.
“What do they mean by this?” Cllr Moloney added. “This was included in a previous plan but it never happened, it never came to fruition, does this mean it is not happening at all now? It all looks good on paper but until we see shovels on the ground it means nothing.”