Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Doyle for raising this matter. I am fully aware of the value of these projects. I have had the opportunity to experience a number of these cycleways and I have visited many of them throughout the country. One of the challenges I face is that in so many different counties and local authorities there is a strong demand for greenway projects like this. The script that is being handed to Deputy Doyle states that at the moment I have no additional funding for the coming period to allocate to new projects. It acknowledges that in recent years we have allocated many millions for greenway projects. A total of €6.3 million was made available last year to three local authorities for the delivery of three greenway projects. A further 11 greenway proposals were submitted by local authorities to share in stimulus funding, and €10 million was made available for the delivery of greenways.

I believe strongly in and I am passionate about the delivery of a system of integrated greenways across the country. A small number are under way but we want to get more under way. I am working within my Department to see whether we can come up with a framework within the constraints of the funding that is available to us such that we can better support and fund a number of greenways across the country.

There will be opportunities in future, particularly for Border counties, to apply for funding under the new programmes for cross-border co-operation and the EU PEACE programme. These funding programmes will be in place between 2014 and 2020. Alongside these it may be possible for some groups to secure funding via the Leader programme, which will at least allows proposals to be progressed up to design stage.

I am aware that this project is already designed and that Deputy Doyle is seeking funding to move it to construction, or, at least to move the next phase to construction. While I am not in a position to say I have funding available at the moment to do that, I accept the real value of projects like this and I am working at the moment to see whether there is some framework or way in which we would be able to fund these projects over of a number of years to enable more of them to be realised. I have seen the extraordinary benefits these projects deliver in the communities and the local authorities that have executed them not only from a tourism point of view but also in terms of sustainable transport and the way they serve as catalysts for local economic development. For example, I have seen the effect the greenway in Mayo has had on a community like Newport. I am keen to see these effects replicated throughout the country. In the time left open to me in this role and in the Dáil I am keen to find some way to support projects like that.

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