Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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745. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of the full restoration of the Ulster Canal; the State's contribution to date; the British Government's and Northern Ireland Executive's contribution to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46107/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Ulster Canal is approximately 93 kms (58 miles) in length. It links the south west corner of Lough Neagh with the south east corner of Upper Lough Erne and passes through or close to Counties Tyrone, Fermanagh and Armagh in Northern Ireland and Counties Monaghan and Cavan in Ireland. It passes through a number of towns and villages, including Monaghan and Clones.

The cost estimate for the restoration of the full Ulster Canal navigation from Upper Lough Erne to Lough Neagh is based on the 2007 business case prepared by Fitzpatrick Associates for the then Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Restoring the Ulster Canal: Outline Business Case, June 2007). The costs, presented in sterling (GBP), were estimated at some £141.6 million at 2007 prices.

2008 was the first year of expenditure on the project following the North South Ministerial Council Decision to proceed with the restoration of 13 kms of the Ulster Canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones at an estimated cost of some €35m. The total expenditure between 2008 and 2015 amounts to €1,263,000. This figure includes design, environmental study and planning costs. It also includes expenditure of €347,000 incurred on foot of the Government approval that I secured earlier this year for Waterways Ireland to proceed with the restoration of the 2.5 km section of the Ulster Canal from Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson. These works are proceeding, with the bulk of the expenditure due to take place in 2016.

The Ulster Canal restoration project has been 100% funded by the Irish Government to date.