Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. I acknowledge the role she and the Department have played, along with Waterways Ireland, in making the crucial decision over the summer. I raised the issue with the Minister prior to the summer recess. We had lost out on planning permission to the element of the proposed blueway south of Athy. At the time, the proposed blueway was 115 km. It was a brave decision and the right decision to proceed with the 46 km for which we now have planning permission. The people in Carlow who objected to this originally will, in time, look at us with great envy and wish they had this. I hope that in time the challenges with regard to the full route can be met.

The point made by the Minister about funding is very valid and I understand an application has been made to the rural regeneration and development fund. I hope the Department is working closely with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Minister, Deputy Ring, to put the best case forward. Waterways Ireland has made a very detailed submission. We will do everything to try to bring through the funding.

What role does Fáilte Ireland have in funding? Will it play a role in marketing afterwards? We know the huge potential Kildare has to bring in tourists. A large number of tourists travel through Kildare at present and our challenge is to get them to slow down and stay. Many of them drive to areas beyond Kildare. In 2017, the Waterford greenway had more than 250,000 visitors, with an average spend of €29.50 per day or €110 per person who stayed overnight in the area. This is what we want to achieve in Kildare. We want people to slow down, stay and spend time in the area and, obviously, leave more money behind them in the process.

The Department of Rural and Community Development has a key role to play, as do other State agencies and Departments that can fund the blueway once it is constructed. I hope we receive the grant from the Department of Rural and Community Development. How will ongoing maintenance be funded? What role will the local authority have in this regard?

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