STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The area to be developed in the Riverine project between Lifford and Strabane
A project in Lifford that has already been awarded €12 million in funding looks like it might not now go ahead.
Donegal TD and Sinn Féín spokesperson on Finance, Deputy Pearse Doherty, has spoken today about the news that the Riverine Park Project will not be completed by the December 31 deadline and therefore EU funding will be lost.
“It is unforgivable that this project will now not be completed within the timeframe necessary due to delays in decisions at multiple Irish state agencies. This is despite the fact that the project was awarded almost €12 million in EU funding.
“Blame must be directed at both An Bord Pleanála and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
“Planning permission cannot be provided in time by An Bord Pleanála due to a backlog of cases. This is the result of a number of board members resigning because of a series of scandals.
“There are also delays in issuing a foreshore license. This is a license awarded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
“Earlier this year, we raised concerns that this project was at serious risk and now our fears have been confirmed by the lead council, Donegal County Council.”
“He added the people of Lifford and Strabane will suffer as a result.
“This is doubly unforgivable given as the project was sold as a way of addressing the impact of the conflict and a history of the region being left behind and forgotten about.
“The project, costing nearly €12 million, would have seen 30 acres of park space connected across the river by a foot and cycle bridge.
“We’ve met with both councils involved and a further meeting is planned for next week with the SEUPB EU funding body where we will also reinforce the importance of this project to this area.
Deputy Doherty added he will be raising these issues with the government and will ask if the government can press the EU Commission for the deadline to be extended.
“However, all indications are that an application will need to be made again for the new round of EU funding; a development that will rightly leave the people of Lifford and Strabane furious.
“Too much hard work, time and effort have already been invested in this project for us to lose it now. Sinn Féin will do everything we can to see this project completed.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
