I am very proud to say that Boyle town is in the middle of a
deep transformative stage at the moment, thanks to the good work of many
people.
The Boyle 2040 plan is clearly the road-map and feeds
directly into the Government’s Project Ireland 2040.
Indeed, through my representation as a local Government
public representative, Boyle is one of the few towns name-checked in this
national blueprint document and I am delighted at the plans now underway to
develop Boyle as an historic and strategically located town whose urban core
has been underdeveloped in recent years.
I am very pleased that the town has already become a major
beneficiary of Government investment with Boyle 2040 being the key driver in
leveraging funding.
The signs of progress are clearly evident: €500,000 in
funding to develop a cycleway linking Boyle and Lough Key Forest & Activity
Park; €200,000 in funding to transform the Town Centre and €100,000 to fund a
pilot scheme to attract more people to live in the town centre.
Of course, I am also very proud at the ongoing development
of Lough Key Forest & Activity Park. This multi-million euro
investment programme at the Park was an ambitious undertaking which I
spearheaded from the very beginning.
As Chairperson of the Lough Key Forest Park Action Group, I
successfully brought together the unique partnership of Roscommon County
Council and Coillte which has led to the development of this wonderful amenity
into one of the country’s top national and tourist and visitor attractions.
As we enter into a very positive 2019, I am looking forward
to another year of significant progress for Boyle, not least the ongoing
development of the former Royal Hotel site into a civic space. In that regard,
I anticipate another significant funding announcement in the very near future.
Finally, as we all work towards attracting more people to
the town, I believe a key piece in the jigsaw is the provision of a hotel. To
that end, I will be working with all stakeholders in a bid to secure a hotel
project which I believe can become a focal point for the new Boyle.
