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Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cork outdoor recreation projects receive ‘major boost' of more than €600,000 in funding
The funding, a total sum of €608,550, has been provided from the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS). The overall fund is worth €8.7m and will cover 221 projects across Ireland including walking trails, cycleways, water-based amenities and mountain access routes. Fine Gael senator Eileen Lynch said she is 'delighted' to see the investment in outdoor projects in Cork. 'When projects are delivered, this funding will provide a major boost to the local economy by attracting visitors and furthering our reputation as a destination for adventure tourism,' Senator Lynch said. The Macroom-based senator said she is particularly delighted to see funding for IRD Duhallow and Cork County Council as these bodies 'provided so much joy for the community over the years.' 'This new funding is going to make a big difference for outdoor amenities in Cork, making them even better for local families and visitors alike. It's so important to get out and make the most of what our outdoors has to offer. 'I want to thank the community groups across Cork who work so hard to develop and enhance recreational amenities in our local community. 'These amenities are here for us all to enjoy. I really encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy the incredible outdoor spaces Cork has to offer', Senator Lynch concluded. ORIS provides funding in three separate measures. Measure 1 offers funding up €40,000 at a 90pc rate of aid for small scale repair/development/promotion or marketing. Maximum six applications can be submitted by each local authority and three applications can be submitted by each local development company. Measure 2 offers funding up to €200,000 at a 90pc rate of aid for medium scale repairs/upgrade and a new trails/amenity development. Maximum three applications can be made by each local authority and one application can be submitted per local development company or state body. Measure 3 offers funding up to €500,000 at a 90pc rate of aid for large scale repair/upgrade and or new strategic trail/amenity development. Local authorities and State bodies can submit one application each under this Measure. 11 Cork projects received funding under Measure 1. Avondhu Blackwater Partnership CLG received €31,050 to develop a car park and upgrade Ballard trail. The partnership also received €29,700 for Blackwater Way map boards and €31,505 for repairs along the Blackwater Way. Cork County Council received €40,000 to replace fencing between Belgooly walkway and Riverstick Estuary. The funding will also cover the installation of benches and street furniture. The local authority also received €40,000 for sea swimming infrastructure for east Cork beaches and €37,800 for sea swimming infrastructure on Great Island. The council also received €40,000 for upgrade works at Seefin car park on the Duhallow Way. IRD Duhallow CLG received a total of €120,000 for upgrade works in the area. West Cork Development Partnership received €40,000 for development of a new walking trail that connects Ballingeary village to Drom an Ailigh to Ceim Chorrbhualle. Four projects received approval from the Project Development Measure. Cork County Council received two separate allocations of €49,950, for works on Abbey Pier on Sherkin Island and the development of Skibbereen Recreation and Amenity Park. IRD Duhallow received €50,000 to map and screen off-road sections of the Beara-Breifne Way. SECAD Partnership CLD received €49.500 to carry out assessment surveys for the Ballycotton Cliff Walk in East Cork.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Cork woman refused access to her dead husband's sperm, despite his written consent
A Cork woman who wants to use her dead husband's stored sperm to have a child has been told there is no protocol for her to do so through the public health system. The refusal comes even though her husband gave his written consent before his death. Melanie Dineen's husband Dylan Fleming passed away on March 9, having been diagnosed with urethral cancer less than a year earlier. They had married just a month before his death. Last September, the couple was referred to a private fertility clinic to harvest and freeze his sperm. The forms contained a section for consent to use the samples in the event of death, which Crosshaven native Dylan had signed. In December, the Macroom-based couple decided to proceed with their plans to have a child. Melanie said: 'We had just bought our house, we were concentrating on doing that up and we had a room which could be a nursery and we had one boy and one girl name picked out.' We were just preparing to begin this whole next chapter. We had been together just over five and a half years. However, during an appointment in January, Melanie was diagnosed with fertility issues including a low egg count During that appointment, a fresh application form was filled out which again included permission for the use of Dylan's stored sperm in the event of his death. Because of Melanie's fertility issues, the couple was advised that IVF was their best chance of conception. However, Melanie said the approximate €6,000 cost of private IVF treatment was not feasible as the couple had taken out a mortgage for their home. There were also high healthcare costs for Dylan. In February, they were referred to the public system but Dylan's condition deteriorated and he passed away on March 9 — before the application forms were filled out. A week later, a reminder was sent to have the paperwork completed or the referral would be removed from the public system. Melanie told the Irish Examiner that she was then advised to fill out both her and Dylan's forms, noting on his that he had died. However, she has now been told that there is no protocol in place in the public system to use the samples of a deceased spouse. She has now been advised to seek a referral again from her GP, in the hope that her application could be accepted. She wants the reassurance that the option is open to her when she is ready for the IVF treatment — possibly at some point next year. She said that while she could afford one round of IVF privately, she is concerned that if that failed, she would not be able to afford a second round. And she said that she would also not qualify for the public system at that point if she had already done one private round. She said that planning to have their child is one of the ways she is coping with Dylan's loss. ' Knowing that I will have a little bit of him again but I am unfortunately in a position of having to do all this in order to achieve it. Her case was raised in the Seanad by Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan. In a statement to the Irish Examiner, the department of health said the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 signed into law last July will regulate fertility clinics providing services including posthumous assisted human reproduction. However, the legislation has not yet been commenced. The statement confirmed posthumous assisted human reproduction is not among the services currently funded through the publicly-funded treatment initiative for assisted human reproduction. It added that it 'is not envisaged to be included in any forthcoming extension of the initiative'.
