Ms Bernice Brennan:

I live in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, and work part time as a teacher. I have three children, aged 15, 12 and nine, all of whom go to school in Kiltimagh. I am here today for them and for the future generations. In east Mayo we have looked at the success of greenways on closed railway lines throughout the country and seen the way they have changed communities, bringing economic and social development to rural areas.

Committee members may have heard of the book No One Shouted Stop, by John Healy, which was first published in 1968. It is about the social and economic demise of the west, among other things. John Healy was originally from Charlestown, County Mayo. In this book he mentions the "black triangle" of east Mayo, an area that covers Charlestown, Swinford and Kiltimagh. Thankfully, things are not as dark in this area now as are described in this book but it is still an area crying out for the impetus to create jobs. A greenway would provide such an impetus, and not only create jobs, but it would revitalise the whole region. It would boost local economies and improve the physical, mental and social health of our communities.

The closed railway line running north of Claremorris to Charlestown and on to Sligo is simply not going to reopen anytime soon. We all know that. Every report on the western rail corridor has said this. Reopening this section of the railway line is not even included as a target in the national all-island rail review. With this in mind, it is such a pity that Mayo County Council has not supported this project as Sligo County Council has. We hope it will ultimately change its mind. However, it must be said that Mayo County Council has been inconsistent on this issue, as it supported the use of 6 km of the closed railway line in Kiltimagh for the Velorail facility. This effectively means that Mayo County Council has accepted the fact that the closed railway line north of Claremorris, running through Kiltimagh, should be available for leisure purposes.

They have allowed this Velorail project, but they are blocking a greenway. While the Velorail is an interesting idea, it is not a facility that local people use much. It involves renting carts, as members can see in the picture, which are pedalled along a short section of the closed railway line, which people have to pay for. A greenway would be free to use.

When the Velorail was under consideration for the planning process, there were more than 200 submissions on the planning application asking for a greenway to be placed alongside the closed railway line being used for the Velorail. Believe me, there is huge support for the east Mayo greenway in the areas of Claremorris, Kiltimagh, Swinford and Charlestown on the closed railway route.

It is not just about tourism for the area. It is about creating an amenity that the local people will use and will be part of the attraction for wanting to live and work in the area. Mr. Quinn mentioned the term “greenwaynomics”. Members should please think about where we are placed on the greenway route we want to see happening in County Mayo. Imagine how a greenway from Sligo through Mayo and on to Athenry in Galway would bring visitors and tourists into the area, creating jobs for our young people. Imagine people arriving into Knock Airport in County Mayo, renting a bike and cycling along this route.

In Kiltimagh, where I live, the disused line is very close to the primary school. Children would be able to walk, cycle, scoot, etc., to and from school, a practice that the Government's own Safe Routes to School programme encourages. A new greenway would become part of our local infrastructure, linking the communities; an amenity that could provide a safe place for all members of our communities and visitors alike that is accessible to all - our children, our grandparents, wheelchair users, cyclists and those using bikes, buggies, scooters, etc.

We are so lucky to have right on our doorstep such a potentially life-enhancing space but, sadly, we are not allowed to access it. It is to the detriment of the people who live in the towns and townlands of Claremorris, Swinford, Kiltimagh and Charlestown, as well as those who are visiting our area, that this widely supported opportunity to truly revitalise our local communities is being denied to us without any consideration. In east Mayo, all we want to see is a wasted asset bought back to life. Resurrected and reinvented, we know the east Mayo greenway will have the power to change lives for the better in our area. We just need to be listened to and for the reality of the situation to be recognised. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.