Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

590. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details on his Department's plan for an eastern seaboard version of the Wild Atlantic Way; if he will provide a breakdown of lessons learned from the construction of the Wild Atlantic Way that will be applied to this new route; his plans to introduce a eurovelo route along the proposed eastern way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45371/14]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While my Department provides the capital funding for investment in tourism projects such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not directly involved in developing or managing them. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way and similar initiatives is a matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland.   

Fáilte Ireland is currently developing a similar tourism proposition for the east and south.  These areas share a strength in the richness of their historic built environment such as Viking Waterford, Medieval Kilkenny and Brú na Boinne.  This is a work in progress and is intended to form a complementary tourism proposition to the Wild Atlantic Way.  It is intended that the research, brand development and consumer testing will be completed during 2014, and the new proposition will be launched in early 2015.

As regards Eurovelo routes, these have been developed by the European Cyclists’ Federation.  Two of the 14 cycling routes, which connect the whole continent of Europe, will traverse through Ireland.  The Eurovelo 1 route travels from Norway to Portugal and enters the Republic of Ireland at Donegal and exits at Wexford.  The Eurovelo 2 will begin in Galway, cross to Dublin and terminate in Moscow.  These routes are prescribed by the ECF and it is not within my remit to designate an eastern cycleway as a Eurovelo route.  However, I am open to exploring proposals for cycleways, within the context of the National Cycle Network Funding Programme, from local authorities in all parts of the country.