Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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498. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of works undertaken to date on the Ulster Canal restoration project; if said works are on schedule; the programme of works intended in 2016 and the funding secured for same; if a greater urgency will be applied to the roll-out of the overall project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8229/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Government approval to restore a 2.5 km stretch of the Ulster Canal from the Shannon-Erne Waterway to the International Scout Centre at Castle Saunderson, Co. Cavan, was granted on 24 February 2015. The project, which comprises three work phases, is being undertaken by Waterways Ireland. Phase 1, the site investigation work, has been completed. Phase 2, dredging of the River Finn, is in progress. I have been informed by Waterways Ireland that completion of this phase has been delayed as a result of contractual issues but that efforts to resolve these matters are ongoing. It is intended that Phase 3 of the restoration work, the construction of a new bridge and canal section, will proceed following completion of phase 2.

Waterways Ireland has an allocation of €2.7 million in its 2016 budget for the Ulster Canal project. This is comprised of €1 million from my Department's capital allocation to Waterways Ireland of €2.689 million for 2016, with the balance coming from the organisation’s own resources.

I remain fully committed to the completion of this section of the Canal, for which I secured Government support, and indeed I am committed to working with all authorities to explore how we can fund further restoration of the Canal route to Clones.