Unfinished projects in county hold up start of €15m Cahir Regeneration Scheme

A senior Tipperary County Council manager has refuted a claim that the roll out of Cahir’s €15m regeneration scheme is being delayed by the Department of Rural & Community Development until sufficient progress is made on Carrick-on-Suir’s own infrastructure facelift. 

Director of Services Brian Beck has also advised against a proposal that the county council go ahead  and spend the €3m matching funding it’s contributing towards the Cahir Regeneration Scheme on starting its first projects – the relocation of Cahir Library and creation of a car park at the old Castle Court Hotel site. 

Mr Beck, who heads the Council’s Economic, Community & Rural Development Department, rejected Independent Cllr Andy Moloney’s complaint about Cahir Regeneration Scheme being stalled because of the Carrick Regeneration Scheme at Tipperary County Council’s monthly meeting. 

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Cllr Moloney told the meeting  a reply from the minister to a Parliamentary Question stated the start of the Cahir Regeneration Scheme depended on the progress of the Carrick scheme. 

He complained that Carrick Municipal District’s councillors “spent enough time making their minds up” about the Carrick Regeneration Scheme and now the commencement of the Cahir scheme was being held up because of it.  

The Poulmucka councillor said he believed the local authority should go ahead and spend the €3m matching funding it has set aside now on starting the library and car park projects.

 “Why should we have to wait for the (Rural Regeneration Development Fund) funding,” he asked. 

Mr Beck, who is also Director of Services for Carrick Municipal District, responded that the message they received from the Department was that the Carrick Regeneration Scheme is not holding up the Cahir Regeneration Scheme.

 There were other RRDF projects in the county that were “slightly delayed” due to issues with procurement, he clarified. 

“All the projects are moving forward but I can categorically say to you it’s not Carrick-on-Suir that is holding the process up.” 

Mr Beck pointed out  the €14.39m RRDF grant for the Carrick-on-Suir Regeneration Scheme was only allocated last November. 

The first phase will be going out to tender in less than two weeks time with a contractor due to start work in June. 

He believed this was “extraordinarily fast” progress and paid tribute to council staff and others working on the project. 

He warned that if the council went ahead and spent the €3m matching funding on starting the Cahir Regeneration Scheme, the Department of Rural & Community Development  may decide it’s not matching funding and still seek further matching funding when a formal decision is made to start the scheme. 

“We have to go through the rules. If we deviate from the rules, the Department may come back to us and say this is the situation, you will have to come back with more money.” 

Mr Beck said he would inform the Department of Rural & Community Development about the first phase of the Carrick Regeneration Scheme going to tender and request that  the Cahir scheme commence. 

Cllr Moloney replied that now Mr Beck had clarified the situation, he would go back to the Minister and also request that the Cahir Regeneration Scheme proceed.