Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. I had one of those glorious trips in here on my bike that one has in the early spring sunshine. It made me realise why I enjoy cycling so much. I came in on the Liffey cycle route, a route which took a long time but which thanks to people like the Minister and people in his party has finally been completed. It creates a safe cycle route for people to come into the city. What the Minister has done to prioritise walking and cycling, in particular the €50 million for Dublin city, will hopefully be transformative over the next few years.I want to speak about a local suggestion or idea. Perhaps the only positive of this pandemic has been that many of us have discovered or rediscovered some of the fantastic parks, greenways and amenities within our 5 km. In my area of the south inner city, the Phoenix Park has been a lifeline for so many. There is agitation to make the Phoenix Park less accessible to cars and more walking and cycling friendly.

Tens of thousands of people have discovered hidden gems in my area, such as the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, which is home to Usher Celtic football club and the Civil Service GAA football club. In that spirit, I welcome the Minister's recent allocation of funding to develop a Liffey greenway from Heuston Station to Islandbridge but I ask that he go further. There is an opportunity to create a unique urban greenway which would serve hundreds of thousands of Dubliners, by upgrading the greenway on the south side of the River Liffey through Chapelizod as far as Waterstown Park and restoring the magnificent silver bridge across the Liffey to link up with Farmleigh. That is a former footbridge used by workers travelling to Farmleigh from places such as Palmerstown and Lucan, which is closed and falling into dereliction.

Astonishingly, there is no bridge other than the M50 across the Liffey between Chapelizod and Lucan. In other words, there is no way for somebody to cross the Liffey on foot, bike or public transport for approximately 9 km. This could be addressed by restoring the silver bridge and providing a pedestrian entrance to the Farmleigh estate. Combined with the planned upgrade of walking and cycling routes in the Phoenix park, this would create a unique urban greenway in the heart of the city, stretching from Heuston Station through Chapelizod to Palmerstown, across Farmleigh and back through the park to Cabra, Stoneybatter and Grangegorman.

Such an amenity could serve hundreds of thousands of locals, similar to the Howth cliff walk, and provide those visiting the city with an experience difficult to encounter in another capital city by accessing the gems we have such as the Phoenix Park. It is something the Minister's party colleague, Deputy O'Gorman, worked on on Fingal County Council along with my party councillor, Councillor Tuffy. However, I ask the Minister to take the opportunity of his time in government to explore the possibility of providing the city with this lasting legacy.

The Minister, Deputy Ryan, has shown himself to be dynamic over the last couple of months in his Department, in particular in prioritising these types of projects. These would have a transformative effect on the west side of the city and would be a lasting legacy.

I would like to associate myself with Senator Dooley's comments on transport workers. They have kept this country going and they are front-line workers in this pandemic. It was quite a shocking that a disproportionate number of London transport workers suffered and died due to Covid-19, keeping London going over the course of the pandemic. It is right we pay tribute to the public transport workers who get front-line workers in and out every day.

I apologise to the Minister as I have double booked and have another appointment. I will not be here for his concluding remarks. I ask the Minister and his Department to consider the above proposal. If he needs anymore information from me or colleagues in Dublin City Council or Fingal Council, I will be happy to talk to him about the proposal. It could be a dynamic greenway idea for Phoenix Park, connecting it to the west side of the city.