It’s claimed US Senators proposed huge funding cut following Donegal visit

It is claimed American Senators who visited Donegal on behalf of President Ronald Reagan in the 80’s to report on the benefits job creation only witnessed ‘ money for middlemen and not one decent job proposal’
The claim is made in a letter to the Irish Independent by a Declan Foley Berwick, Australia, who claims to have chauffeured two US senators around Co Donegal in 1986.
In his letter Mr Foley says he chauffeured two US senators around Co Donegal who had been sent by President Reagan to report on the benefits job creation from the Anglo-Irish Agreement would bring to the border areas.
Their ‘guides’ were a junior officer from the Foreign Office and a senior official with Donegal county council – he claims the IDA North West manager was not even informed of the visit, let alone invited to assist.
He claims that no sooner had they begun to leave Letterkenny, one senator remarked to the other that all they had seen is money for middlemen and not one decent job proposal.
The other senator is said to have replied that there is no way they can return to President Reagan and endorse any further funding – he added that Instead of the proposed $500m investment they would suggest America contribute $200m instead.
Mr Foley made his comments in the context of Donegal County Council employing a team of consultants to implement the ‘Whole System of Work’ without issuing a tender for the project.