Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the Chamber today for what is a very important Commencement matter for many constituents on the Barrow blueway and the surrounding area. I acknowledge the Government's commitment to delivering for our rural communities. As a native of Rathangan, a lovely rural village in south Kildare, I know only too well how important it is to support the long-term viability of small villages and towns if we want to see them grow and prosper into the future. We can certainly do that through tourism, which is a vital aspect of the rural economy in south Kildare. We have some wonderful amenities, from the Japanese Gardens to the Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park and many others.

One key element of the development of the tourism industry is the development of blueway and greenway infrastructure. As the Minister of State knows, the Barrow blueway will stretch some 46 km, from Lowtown in the Robertstown area through to Athy. It goes through Ballyteague, Rathangan, Monasterevin and Vicarstown. It is really a beautiful part of the county and has tremendous potential for south Kildare. There is no doubt that a fully finished and maintained blueway will open up our area to new markets and opportunities. At the moment, people are using it for recreational sport, cycling, walking, jogging and so on. Fáilte Ireland did some research recently which showed that domestic trips were mainly focused on the outdoors. We want to capitalise on that and attract people to the blueway in Kildare. In a survey of local businesses, as part of a Kildare Leader research paper, two thirds of local businesses surveyed had an element of tourism in their businesses. However, only 20% could sustain this year round. There is a real opportunity here for us. I was very pleased that some weeks ago, under a recent rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, call, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, allocated almost €4 million in funding towards the cost of completing the Barrow blueway project. This will include a pedestrian bridge in Rathangan. I have been liaising with the Minister since the funding shortfall was identified and I am pleased that this funding was extended. The Minister of State can clearly see the benefits of the blueway to the local, national and international economy. The investment from the Government has been significant so we have a duty to protect this asset and investment.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have seen disgraceful behaviour on the blueway, especially around lock 20 in Ballyteague. There have been issues of antisocial behaviour over the years but it has now reached a breaking point for residents. I have seen some of the videos related to this. In addition to the general antisocial behaviour, we have seen young people going around the roads and the blueway on quads, scramblers and modified bikes, without tax, insurance or protection. I acknowledge that the law changed yesterday. We hope that it is adhered to. Residents have also complained about tractors being brought on to the lock as well as young people doing burnouts, rallying and having sulkies on the blueway. This is leading to intimidation of residents and is negatively impacting their quality of life. These are long-term residents living along the canal. They deserve to be able to enjoy their area fully and without intimidation.

Outside of that, this area and the wider blueway project has received millions of euro in Government funding and has been worked on by many stakeholders. We have a responsibility to protect that. I ask the Minister of State what can be done to tackle this issue

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising matter and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to update the House in relation to the Ballyteague blueway.Waterways Ireland is a North-South implementation body established under the British-Irish agreement of 10 April 1998. It is funded by the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Waterways Ireland owns and manages the Grand Canal Barrow line, which is a 46 km still-water canal between Lowtown, which is a junction on the Grand Canal, and the Barrow navigation at Athy, County Kildare. Most of the route is in County Kildare, with a section of towpath and canal in County Laois.

Waterways Ireland is currently developing the infrastructure for the Barrow blueway by resurfacing the existing towpath to create a 2.5 m wide accessible, multi-use route. Together with their project partners, Kildare and Laois County Councils, Waterways Ireland is providing pedestrian crossings where the route crosses roads. A number of lowered jetties are being put in place to enable easy access and egress for paddle sports.

While the project has been welcomed by communities and received strong support during this construction phase, there have unfortunately been some incidents of anti-social behaviour witnessed at Ballyteague. Waterways Ireland, Kildare County Council and An Garda Síochána are actively working together to put measures in place to manage the situation effectively and have committed to continued, proactive collaboration between the three bodies in order to deliver a safe and enjoyable experience for all users. A meeting between the three organisations is planned in the coming days to develop a shared approach that ensures the blueway remains accessible and welcoming for all users.

Funding for the programme of works to create the 46 km blueway was secured via a successful joint application by Waterways Ireland, Kildare County Council and Laois County Council to the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and through funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to progress the Barrow blueway project from Lowtown and Robertstown through Rathangan, Monasterevin and Vicarstown to Athy. The project is led via a partnership approach, which also includes the private, community and voluntary sectors thereby ensuring that it will be developed, promoted and maintained for the benefit of the region as a whole.

Phase 1 of the 46 km blueway development is nearing completion, with both bound and unbound surface on the entire route practically complete. Installation of access control gates and road crossing infrastructure is also nearing completion. Recent funding from the RRDF will enable the construction of a pedestrian bridge, installation of new access jetties along the route as well as interpretative features such as signage and activation infrastructure.

I will not miss this opportunity to clarify that the RRDF comes from the Department of Rural and Community Development, which is my own Department.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State and I look forward to welcoming him to Kildare when the blueway is open to see the tremendous progress and the great asset that it is. I am glad to hear the three organisations are meeting in the coming days. Last week, in this House, I asked for a taskforce to be put in place. I have been in touch with Waterways Ireland separately as well as with An Garda Síochána and Kildare County Council. The Minister of State is right; a shared approach that ensures the blueway remains accessible and welcoming for all users is really important. We have to ensure the blueway is developed, promoted and maintained for the benefit of the region as a whole, which absolutely includes the neighbours.

The Minister of State mentioned the newly constructed gateways. They were intended to restrict the access of quad and scrambler bikes but they are not fit for purpose; quads and scramblers are able to get in. That absolutely needs to be looked at. We also need better access management plans to ensure these motorised vehicles cannot damage the blueway or cause a problem for the nearby residents. I would appreciate if the Department would keep in contact and update me on the meeting with the three agencies.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her contribution. The Ballyteague blueway initiative is designed to promote well-being through opportunities for walking, cycling and enjoying the water on paddle boards and powered craft. That needs to be available and accessible to everyone. Apart from increasing people's well-being, a greater level of use of the waterway and its towpath by visitors to the area is intended to improve the local economy and support local services. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is disappointed by the anti-social behaviour that has been seen in recent weeks but he is confident this will be addressed effectively by the relevant parties and that the blueway project will be hugely transformational and beneficial to the area. I will pass on the Senator's request to be kept up to date on developments.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his time in the Seanad this morning. We know he is busy and we appreciate it. We wait now for Minister of State at the Department of Health and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, for our next two Commencement matters.