Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am from Dún Laoghaire. I know the Minister is aware of the project I am going to mention, namely, the Sutton to Sandycove cycleway. I have discussed the matter with him in the Chamber previously. I had hoped to meet him to discuss it, and I hope that we will get a change to meet about it in the future.

The project is a transport gem along the coast of Dublin Bay. It is a cycleway and coastal promenade from Sutton all the way round to Sandycove in south Dublin, of which many people will be aware. It will go through places such as Booterstown, Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire town. It will pass Monkstown and go into Glasthule and Sandycove. It will link up a whole range of really lovely places to visit along the coast. On the one hand it will provide transport for the tourism sector while on the other it will also be a vital commuter link for cyclists to go in and out of town.

The frustrating thing is that for as long as I have been in politics since 2009, and for a long time before that, there has been almost unanimous support for this project in Dún Laoghaire. We have been pushing hard for it to be delivered, and yet nothing has happened. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has spent a vast amount of time, effort and money putting in place huge cycle schemes during Covid, which are very effective and welcome. However, there is an obvious off-road, segregated, safe cycling route available along the coast, on the outside of the DART line, and it can be built. There are definitely problems, but with the political will, it can be done. I am disappointed that it has not happened yet, with the Green Party in government for so long. The Minister's Department and that of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media must make it happen. There is an opportunity coming in respect of the replacement of the DART wall along the coast, which is disintegrating and has been there since the Dublin to Kingstown railway was built. It must be replaced. It is an 8 m footprint. There is a real opportunity to put the Sutton to Sandycove route in place there. I really hope that we see it happen in the coming months and years.