Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To conclude, in November 2021, €15.5 million in funding was announced for 84 outdoor adventure projects. The projects chosen for investment include walking and cycling trails, cliffways, beaches, lakes, rivers, bogs, greenways, blueways and bridleways. This investment, which is a key part of Our Rural Future, will support rural economies and I know all present welcome this investment throughout the country.

I take on board the point the Senator is making in respect of multi-annual funding. We have discussed at length in the Department of Health how important multi-annual funding is in terms of facilitating planning. We saw this first hand last year in the context of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.For the first time, we had multi-annual funding, a commitment of €30 billion. We also saw such multi-annual funding for Irish Water. It means one can plan ahead. I know how important it is. I will relay the matter to the Minister's Department and let it know exactly how the Senator is feeling. I thank her for her interest.