Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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9. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount made available for greenways from Athenry to Collooney this year; the work to be done with this allocation; if he can confirm if he has instructed that any greenway planned will not interfere with the closed railway line from Athenry to Collooney, which is being considered for reopening as part of the strategic rail review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10330/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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With that upbeat assessment of where we are going, as the Minister will be aware, I totally concur with him. My question is, in regard to the money that has been available for greenways from Athenry to Collooney, will there be a instruction given that the work cannot be done at the risk of destroying existing infrastructure that could be used for rail in the future? We need clarification on this issue. We all support greenways, but we do not support greenways that destroy one thing to give you another.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Some €63 million has been allocated by my Department to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, this year for the delivery of its greenway programme. Of this, €4.65 million has been allocated to Galway County Council and €790,000 to Sligo County Council for greenway projects under their remit.

Two TII-funded greenways are currently being progressed between Athenry and Collooney. Some €400,000 has been allocated this year for the progression of the Charlestown/Bellahy-to-Collooney section of the Sligo greenway through phase 1, that is concept and feasibility, and phase 2, that is, options selection, of the TII project management guidelines.

In addition, €300,000 has been allocated to appoint consultants to progress the Athenry and Milltown greenway through phase 2 - options selection. The options selection process for both projects will have due regard to all options considered reasonable between Charlestown-Bellahy and Collooney and between Athenry and Milltown, and will also have regard to the outcome of the strategic rail review, in particular, the proposals for the potential reopening of the western rail corridor.

As the Deputy will be aware, the strategic rail review is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. It will inform the development of the railway sector on the island of Ireland over the coming decades. The review is at an advanced stage.

Publication of the final report will follow after it has been considered and approved at ministerial level here and in Northern Ireland. Any affected potential greenways will be given due consideration. It should be noted that in some instances it may be feasible to run a greenway alongside a rail line. Whilst this may be more costly, if an economic case is made it may allow for the provision of both services.

To answer the Deputy's question directly, nothing will be done which threatens or undermines the ability for us to reopen a rail line. We will look at a variety of different options, such as running alongside. Nothing will be done which would rule out the rail option in what we do on the greenway.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Following the process, do I take it that nothing will be done ahead of the rail review being published and decisions being made on it? When the options are put forward by TII, am I correct that they are obligated to provide five options on each route and then go to public consultation and outline the merits and demerits in respect of cost, the environment, etc., of the five options? Could the Minister clarify the process because the process is key here?

If the options are made available, and there are five, no doubt people will make their voices democratically known that they are not opposed to the idea of the parallel services of greenway and railway but they would be opposed to one destroying the other.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am not aware of the exact number of those options. It may be five, as the Deputy suggests, but it certainly is a range of different options, including running alongside a rail line and other greenfield routes.

Any such process goes through a public consultation process. The timing here could be fortuitous. Fundamentally, what I see happening is the strategic rail review coming before any further decision on any major investment. That, I expect, certainly if we get a Northern Ireland assembly returned within a short period. That will be one of the first items on the agenda. We need speed on making decisions on the likes of the western rail corridor so that every business along the route knows this is the way we are going. When we make freight decisions or other decisions, such as housing development decisions, they will know exactly what is happening, particularly on that section from Athenry to Claremorris. That decision comes first. Once that decision is made, it will give greater clarity for all the other investments in greenways and elsewhere.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Many people now accept with the new figures we received that it is likely that Athenry to Claremorris will proceed.

Will the section from Claremorris to Collooney be considered in view of the fact that it would provide a connection, within a ten-minute bus ride, to Knock Airport from Charlestown? Furthermore, if that section was completed - it is there so it only has to be reopened - it would deliver the longest freight line on the island, the whole way from Sligo. The Minister rightly keeps mentioning Ballina but Sligo has huge potential for rail. If we consider south County Donegal and all of the timber and everything there, the line could be run the whole way down to Rosslare when the Waterford to Rosslare line is reopened. That would give an extraordinary reach for freight within the country, including right into Donegal, as I said. Will the Minister confirm that, in a brave move for the north west, he will seriously consider completing the project and extending the line to Collooney? We should be done with shilly-shallying around and go for balanced regional development in both freight and passenger rail.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I agree on the need for balanced regional development, particularly for the north west, and specifically on the lack of connectivity to Donegal. Sligo has a rail service but Donegal does not and it has suffered as a result for decades. There are limited resources, however, and it is expensive. The section from Charlestown to Collooney would almost require a new line to be built as little of the existing line-----

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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It is all there.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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-----has been retained.

There is another investment proposal that should get priority, namely, a rail line running from Portadown west through Dungannon, Omagh, Strabane, Letterkenny and Derry. That would have huge benefits for all the towns along that route and for connecting Letterkenny to Derry, which is a critical investment priority. That should be the priority, rather than spending significant sums on the Charlestown, Collooney, Sligo and Donegal route. Perhaps we should do that some time in the future when we see the complete revival of rail but I do not expect to see that recommended. We should concentrate on the other line, which would be expensive but would bring real benefits. We should focus on the sections from Athenry to Claremorris and Rosslare to Waterford and build new services along that entire line.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is badly advised. The whole railway line is maintained. We cleaned that in the noughties so it is all there.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Cuirim fáilte chroíúil roimh na daltaí scoile thuas staighre atá ag éisteacht go cúramach linn.