Reacting to the IWA’s Tony Cunningham’s claim at Monday’s emergency meeting of Roscommon County Council that the association had met with the two local TDs in 2017, Denis Naughten and Michael Fitzmaurice said that they were unaware the Cuisle Holiday Centre was in danger of closing.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy, who said he wasn’t approached by IWA representatives, said he was “shocked and outraged” by Monday’s revelation.
Independent TD Denis Naughten confirmed he had spoken to an IWA representative in July 2017 who had informed him that investment was needed at Cuisle. Deputy Naughten said he had spoken to Junior Minister Finian McGrath and that a meeting between IWA and the Minister went ahead.
Deputy Naughten was adamant that he had no further communication from the IWA and that his understanding was that “everything was in order” and that the first he heard of the closure was earlier this month after Cuisle staff had been contacted.
Fellow Independent TD, Michael Fitzmaurice, confirmed that he had spoken with an IWA representative at Cuisle’s 20th Anniversary celebrations in June 2017. He added that “at no stage during various discussions was it noted that Cuisle Holiday Centre was in danger of closing” and that his first knowledge of the closure came on November 1st of this year.
Deputy Fitzmaurice also made contact with Minister Finian McGrath about potential funding. He added that, following June 2017, he spoke with the IWA representative a few times over the phone in relation to potential grants for upgrade works which would cover a variety of tasks.
“During the celebration in June, the Cuisle Holiday Centre was being heralded as the jewel in the crown of the IWA – not as a facility that was in imminent danger of closing.
“To my knowledge, significant LEADER funding was secured to carry out upgrade works to the facility,” he said.
Fellow TD Eugene Murphy, who was present at Monday’s emergency Roscommon County Council meeting, said “serious questions need to be asked”.
“Did the IWA deliberately take the decision to exclude me from this process on the basis that I would have exposed the situation in relation to funding difficulties?
“When a public representative who is elected by the voters of Roscommon-Galway is being excluded from a process such as this, it is a very grave issue. I will be contacting the IWA immediately to seek answers to these issues.
“Unfortunately, the meeting on Monday morning was very negative and I am extremely angry that the IWA did not seem to entertain any ideas or proposals put forward with a view to keeping the Cuisle Centre open,” Deputy Murphy said.
