Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is very encouraging to hear that because through that collaborative approach we could get fantastic value added from what we know we have to spend anyway, but it would be great to get more of a return rather than just the primary flood defence return that we would get from such investment. As I said earlier, some of the newer infrastructure could be designed in such a way that it would be perfect to cater for those additional needs, but some of the older infrastructure can be used also. I gave the example from the main arterial drainage scheme in my locality close to where I live and where I often walk. We have a fantastic amenity in the Keel uphill-downhill loop walk, which is along that old Maine river embankment. We have many of those throughout the country. That was done through consultation with the landowners following which a consensus was agreed. My vision is that we would get all of these pieces of infrastructure, which fantastic people built over the decades, working for the wider community but also that the landowners, with their full consensus, would be able to gain from this financially in that there may be financial support for landowners through various schemes across different Departments. That would be a very pro-rural step forward but it would also be something that would set us aside internationally as a destination for walking and cycling.

See this speech in context