Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Rowe. When he spoke about the greenways there as a commuting route, I would caution that many years ago, there was a cretinous idea of filling in the canal and making it a roadway. I hope that the NTA does not get any delusions or ambitions to create it as a thoroughfare and over-engineer the towpaths. While they offer a great route into the city for cyclists, they also offer a real respite for pedestrians and families and people of all ages to get off city streets and busy trafficked areas and be in a calmer and more natural setting. Waterways Ireland has an obligation to protect not just the waterway but also the overall environment and I strongly encourage the organisation to do that. I support the greenways but I do think we need to have it tempered. It cannot just be exploited for commuting purposes as that would be a failure.