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RURAL AFFAIRS MINISTER Michael Ring has hit back at Fianna Fáil’s Eamon O’Cuiv over allegations he left money which could have been spent on rural areas behind.
O’Cuiv criticised Ring for failing to spend the allocated budget of €163 million last year. A total of €19 million went unspent.
O’Cuiv, who served eight years as Rural Affairs Minister, said the underspend was not a surprise.
“There was over €11m, which should have been spent on infrastructure projects in rural areas as well as a further €8m which could have been used for day to day spending.
“This underspend comes as no surprise – I had been forecasting throughout 2017, that there would be a very significant underspend by this Department as it was evident in the replies I was receiving from the Minister and his officials. In fact, if it wasn’t for the late approval for the Local Improvement Scheme, which I had been requesting, the underspend would have been much more significant.”
However, Ring said that O’Cuiv himself oversaw even greater underspends.
“It has not escaped my attention that when Deputy O’Cuív was Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, he handed back €35 million from his Department to the Exchequer in 2008. In 2010, his final year in the job, another €38 million was handed back.
“This is money that should have been benefiting rural communities when the recession was really being felt. I would be interested to know how he allowed for this situation to occur on his watch.”
O’Cuiv said that he wanted to know how Ring plans to spend the money in future.
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Ring was putting the money aside that will be needed for their salary increase
@FlopFlipU: well it was a bit of a hack, but well done. You managed to wrangle your bitterness into a story about budgets
@FlopFlipU: oh no! A politican didnt waste all available money!
You’d swear they thought the money was now gone instead of just unspent…
Politicians is their any one of them ‘Honest’, the Reason I never and will never Vote again.
@Mairtín: then what’s the point in commenting? You just made yourself irrelevant.
@Mairtín: Most Politicians are honest untill they get into Government then spin and madness takes over the Politician then loses touch with the ordarney person on the street.
Could have done with that money for a cycleway and footpath (full tarmac) along both the grand and Royal canals. Least it would be an alternative route for cyclists on dangerous back roads in Kildare and Meath.
@Simon O Flaherty: totally agree Simon, the potential for multiple green/cycleways and MTB trails is massive.
@Simon O Flaherty:
The canals themselves are in need of restoration and maintainance/dredging and stabilizing of the embankments.
Money would be better spent on these before any greenway is created.
They need the money to fund their St Patrick’s Day junket and golden handshakes when they’re kicked out in the next election..Money, money, money…
That money was just resting in his account!
Micheal Ring has spent more on Rural Ireland than any other Ministers but a little more on roads Minister if you have any monies left over he’s a good politician better than Enda Kenny
They are good at saving money when it’s needed for public service spending. They squander the money then saved on themselves, cronies, or pet projects to buy votes.
Or maybe Leo need more for his spin department, as the 5 million budget doesn’t seem enough to fool people.
Ring, possibly one of the biggest gombeen politicians of them all !
Too many problems encountered with the application process. Westmeath Community Development have a very bad record in this regard.
O’ Cuiv for President! Hahahahahahaha!
@John Campbell:
None of your everyday people that served or are now serving in Government are suitable for this rank office You might as well have the ex Commissioner there I would not trust any of them to do a good street cleaning job.
FG and FF arguing :)
Funny….
@Willy Malone: don’t worry they’ll be best buds again soon.
have your say