I will start on a positive note. The active travel funding is very much welcome for communities right across the country. Indeed, there are some positive projects in my home county of Mayo. However, I must highlight the huge disappointment in Balla and Westport about the fact that funding was provided for either in the context of infrastructure that is much needed. At the Ardboley junction in Balla, a greenway was developed. There was huge expectation that the town of Balla would be connected from the outskirts right into the centre by means of active travel funding. There is a huge safety issue here. There is a special area of conservation, SAC, that has limited it, but there has been major political pressure and huge advocacy on the part of the community, which is doing brilliant work within Balla. After much campaigning, the announcement that final piece of the greenway link, which currently is at a dead end but which would connect outlying areas with the town centre and bring about much-needed improvements in the context of safety, will not be delivered is hugely disappointing for those involved.

We need to get delivery and ensure that we are funding and supporting projects demanded by communities. Often, there are different agendas at play. We need to make sure that we are listening and responding to communities. We need to deliver for communities like that in Balla. I would like additional consideration to be given to some projects that have been left off the list. The project to which I refer is supported by Councillor Donna Sheridan, who is doing great work with the community in Balla. I also support Councillor Peter Flynn in Westport who is hugely disappointed that, with millions of euro announced and raised, a simple stretch of footpath that would have enabled work on the building of 200 houses in Westport to commence was not funded. It was funded to the tune of €5,000. We need to make sure that we are provide funding in line with the asks from county councillors and communities, particularly as they are at the heartbeat of decision-making in this regard. We need to make sure that we align funding in such a way that we can deliver for our communities. I would appreciate if we could write to the Department and the Minister to make sure there is support for these communities.