Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We went through a lot of amendments when we set up the memorandum of understanding for this committee. I was passionate that this is possibly the only committee left in the Oireachtas that is lastchance.com. This is where we give people outside the Houses their voice. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, to be heard and it is a decent way of debating and thrashing out the issues. There is no problem. This is what it is about. The number of 26,000 is substantial. It is a lot of people, it involves a lot of paper that weighs a lot. We have to be realistic. The speakers laid it out earlier. It would bring immediate benefits. As with anything in tourism, if you invest, you get your investment fourfold back at a minimum. It will bring positivity and well-being, allow people to get out in the air and exercise and tourism will see the monetary value of it.

Let it be of use now. I cannot believe it has been lying idle for 40 years when it could be used. Even if the local farmers got together and cut and levelled it, at least you could walk it. I have read the all-Ireland rail review and have looked at stuff down my way. Senator Lombard said that we are near completion of the Midleton-Youghal greenway. Even though many people wanted the railway down there as well, we had to be realistic given development charges. It is cost-neutral to put in a railway line. It is a win-win. We should make use of what we have. We do not get out enough. Covid taught us that we need to make the best of what we have and plan for the future so I am totally in agreement.