Dáil debates

Wednesday, 19 June 2019

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Inland Waterways Development

3:40 pm

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for taking this important issue regarding the need for us to progress the Barrow Blueway. She will be aware of my keen interest in the progression of the blueway through County Kildare. I have raised it with her and her officials on a number of occasions in the past.

The Barrow Blueway project is being dealt with by Waterways Ireland which originally made applications to Kildare, Laois and Carlow County Councils in 2017 for the development of the Barrow towpath to enable it to become a blueway. The planned upgrade was to provide a multi-use shared leisure route connecting Lowtown beside Robertstown in County Kildare, with which the Ceann Comhairle will be very familiar, to St. Mullins in County Carlow, a distance of 115 km of off-road, flat, accessible public space. The original proposed trail was to pass through the village of Robertstown and the towns of Rathangan, Monasterevin and Athy in County Kildare linking on to Carlow and it was anticipated to become a blueway.

There is major interest in and support for this project in County Kildare. I want to put on the record that despite pockets of objections further south in other counties, the people of Kildare are absolutely supportive of this project. They believe it is the right thing to do and can appreciate its great potential when we consider other greenways and blueways and the economic prosperity they have brought to other rural areas and towns and villages.

There has been a long planning history to this project since then, which I will not go into. An Bord Pleanála ruled on the project in February 2019 refusing permission for the proposed development along the Barrow in all three countries of Carlow, Kildare and Laois.

However, in respect of Kildare and Laois the decision pertains only to the riverbank. Waterways Ireland has been given the green light for a new track on a section of the canal stretching for approximately 50 km from Lowtown and Robertstown to Athy.

My main purpose today is to find out what the intentions of Waterways Ireland are with regard to progressing the blueway in County Kildare, which is much anticipated by recreational users and businesses alike. Waterways Ireland stated clearly in its application to An Bord Pleanála that it would only proceed on the basis that the project was approved in its entirety. The 50 km stretch of the proposed blueway in Kildare is ample reason to proceed and can stand on its own two feet. I have no doubt that some of the people in County Carlow who objected without full information on what is being sought would demand that the blueway be extended to St. Mullins if they saw it being successfully developed in County Kildare. That is their business, however, and a matter for another day. We want to focus on the area for which planning permission has been given. While certain elements of the route along the River Barrow were not approved, the element in Kildare is sufficient to make its development feasible for development. This will give the towns of Kildare, Rathangan, Monasterevin and Athy an opportunity to develop the economic activity that can be spun off from these projects, as has occurred in other areas.

I am familiar with the greenway from Waterford to Dungarvan, which attracted 250,000 visitors between March and December 2017. An analysis has shown that each visitor spent on average almost €30 in the locality, with those who stayed overnight spending almost €110. This type of economic activity could transform Monasterevin, Rathangan, Athy and all of the areas in between that we want to see developed. I ask the Minister, through her good offices, to implore Waterways Ireland to drive on with the Kildare element of the project and allow us to develop it to show the benefits it can deliver to our area and show off to visitors the beautiful landscape and countryside of south Kildare. One other major benefit of a greenway from Robertstown would be that it would create a direct link between south Kildare and Dublin. We know how many tourists stay in Dublin and that many of them drive through County Kildare. The challenge we have is to get them to spend the night in Kildare. A greenway and blueway from south Kildare to Dublin would create major opportunities in the south of the county.

3:50 pm

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Heydon for raising this issue. I acknowledge his keen interest in the Barrow blueway.

Work on developing the Royal Canal greenway from Maynooth to Richmond Harbour, Clondara, County Longford, as a walking and cycling destination is nearing completion. At 119 km in length, this will be one of the largest of the greenways and blueways in Europe. The Royal Canal blueway at Mullingar offers 23 km of paddling. The Grand Canal towpath is also being upgraded. Waterways Ireland is working with local authorities, LEADER groups, the National Transport Authority and the National Trails Office to ensure planning and funding are progressed.

Waterways Ireland views blueways and greenways as a vital means of encouraging the development of recreational opportunities in rural areas. Experience has shown that the branding of trails, such as greenways or blueways, attracts visitors resulting in rural regeneration. The development of trails encourages private entrepreneurs to establish or extend recreational activity businesses such as bicycle hire, canoe hire and paddle boarding.

Blueways are not just the provision of infrastructure but, more importantly, they provide a model for partnership collaboration between the private sector, community and voluntary sector and local and national bodies in the provision of sustainable services which provide access to recreational activities for local people and visitors alike. The blueway model has worked successfully on the north Shannon with all of these bodies working in partnership to provide rural regeneration in areas where tourism was not previously high on the agenda. Waterways Ireland is continuing to support and expand the existing network of blueway trails across its waterways, including the Shannon blueway, the Shannon-Erne blueway, the Lough Derg blueway and the Mullingar blueway on the Royal Canal.

In relation to the Barrow blueway, Waterways Ireland received the decision on the appeal for the development of the Barrow blueway from An Bord Pleanála on 10 April 2019, as the Deputy will probably be aware. The decision effectively upheld the decisions of Kildare, Laois and Carlow planning authorities granting permission for the proposed development from Lowtown to Athy, that is, the canal section, but refusing permission from Athy to St. Mullins, which is the river section. The primary refusal reason in each case related to the board's opinion that the potential impacts of the proposed development on the special area of conservation could not be ruled out arising from the use of the unbound material in areas that could flood. They highlighted an associated perceived potential impact of the proposed development on ecology.

Waterways Ireland considered the detailed inspector's report and had a number of options available to it. The first was to seek a judicial review of the decision of An Bord Pleanála. This option has not been pursued. The second option was to develop the element already granted permission and seek funding to develop the towpath from Lowtown to Athy, as planning has been granted for this section. Funding could be sought under the next round of greenway strategy funding. While funders have shown significant interest in the potential of a full Barrow trail, the potential success of an application for part of the route would have to be discussed. Kildare County Council has indicated that it is keen to have this progressed. The third option was to submit a new planning application for the areas which have not been given consent. This would require a redesign informed by further review and landscape assessments. In order to do this it would be necessary to undertake a detailed hydrological model for the Barrow catchment. A detailed flood risk assessment would be a very large project in itself and would also be subject to challenge in terms of the certainty that is required to make conclusions on potential impacts. This is not an option which Waterways Ireland believes would have a successful outcome at this time.

The fourth option is to pause development and work with all of the local authorities, sports partnerships, communities and groups along the route of the River Barrow to activate the area as much as possible in terms of recreation and tourism. Waterways Ireland is currently organising an entire Barrow walk during the European Week of Sport in September. By undertaking such programmes, it is hoped to positively impact on mindsets in the area.

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her detail response in which she listed the various options available. It is clear what option people in County Kildare would take. I agree with Kildare County Council that we should proceed with the second option of having the Kildare element of the project, for which planning permission has been given and which is ready to go, considered in the next round of the greenway strategy funding.

The cost of completing the entire Barrow blueway running for 115 km has been estimated at €11 million. Completing 50 km would cost significantly less but the economic return for the area would be significant. We already have a canoe loop in Vicarstown near Athy and people are able to cycle, walk, trek and canoe in the area. Athy is unique in that the town is located on the banks of the Grand Canal and the River Barrow. With its famous triathlon event, TriAthy, dragon boat racing, canoe club and ambitious plans for a new water sports hub, the town has embraced water sports and tourism potential. This investment would be a considerable shot in the arm for Athy. Monasterevin is known as the Venice of Ireland. It and Rathangan are towns in rural Kildare which do not have enough economic activity. Tourism is a key option that would link us directly with the Dublin tourist market. We have an exciting opportunity for businesses and individuals to consider setting up cafés and the various spin-off industries that come from blueways and greenways. A couple of years ago, while cycling from Achill along the greenway on a family holiday, I was struck by the number of new businesses that had sprung up along the route. The same applies in Waterford where a greenway of only 46 km attracts 250,000 visitors each year. We are aiming to attract 50,000 visitors.

I implore the Minister to use her good offices. The second option she listed would be our preferred one. At some point, we could consider submitting new planning applications to try to deliver the full Barrow blueway. For now, let us prove that Kildare can be a success and let us take every opportunity to have the economic development that is so crucial for the south of the county.

Photo of Josepha MadiganJosepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As part of the evaluation of the various options, Waterways Ireland is exploring the availability of third party funding for the Lowtown to Athy section in County Kildare. It is anticipated that the evaluation of options will be completed in the coming months.

Given the success of blueway projects to date and recognising the capacity, resource, seasonality and mobilisation constraints, and that this is a matter in the first instance for Waterways Ireland, it is my view that the agency should proceed to plan, schedule and resource those elements of the project for which planning is secure. That is, in effect, the second of the options I laid out for the Deputy. My Department will continue to engage with Waterways Ireland to that end. I share the Deputy's desire to see this project proceed.

However, Waterways Ireland will ultimately make that decision itself. There is a Waterways Ireland monitoring committee meeting on 9 July. It is my desire that we go ahead with the parts of the project that have planning permission. Some of the advantages outlined by Deputy Heydon in tourism, cafes and of it being an exciting overall opportunity for Kildare should be acknowledged. Even if we cannot do all the Barrow Blueway at the moment, we should certainly try to do those aspects and parts that have planning permission. There are many blueway initiatives throughout the country. It is a multi-activity trail on or along the water and it is defined by trailheads with readily available trail information and safe access points to the recreational activity. As the Deputy said, these are not only recreational trails but they link the physical activity with places to rest and to have refreshments and with heritage sites. Places of interest can be visited and people can browse the local arts and crafts and experience the local culture.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know how important this is for Kildare and I acknowledge his enthusiasm. My desire is that the second option will go ahead and we will await the decision of Waterways Ireland on 9 July.