Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for the increased development of blueway trails such as the Shannon-Erne blueway; her views on how these trails can be utilised to attract visitors to rural counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19856/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Waterways Ireland has been actively progressing the development of Blueways as a means to attract new visitors to use the waterways and in response to the growth in demand for recreational activities such as walking, canoeing, cycling and stand up paddle boarding.

The first Blueway was launched in October 2014 on the Shannon and it has been very successful. It links Drumshanbo with Carrick-on-Shannon and comprises a 16.5km paddling trail, a 10km walking trail and a 5km cycle trail. The 10km Camlin River paddling loop is also in operation.

The Shannon-Erne Blueway, which I had the privilege of officially opening on 28 May 2016, links Leitrim Village with Belturbet, Co Cavan and provides a 70km series of paddling journeys, 25kms of walking trails and 8kms of cycling trails. There are also plans to upgrade a further 8kms this year. Based on existing monitoring of visitor usage, Waterways Ireland expects that 100,000 people will use the Shannon-Erne Blueway over the next year.

Further development on the Shannon which is planned for 2016 includes:

- A 20km trail from Carrick-on-Shannon to Boyle;

- A 50km trail from Carrick-on-Shannon to Lanesborough, and

- A 30km looped trail around Lough Allen.

On the Royal Canal and Grand Canals, 45kms and 21kms of towpath trails have been developed respectively. Plans for upgrading the remaining towpaths on these canals are at varying stages and Waterways Ireland is working with various stakeholders, including the local authorities, LEADER groups, the National Transport Authority and the National Trails Office, to progress these developments.

On the Barrow Navigation, Waterways Ireland plans to submit proposals to upgrade the Barrow towpath to the relevant planning authorities shortly. This will enhance the 112kms of off-road trackway from Lowtown in Co. Kildare to St Mullins in Co Carlow.

Clearly, the development of Blueways presents valuable opportunities for rural communities to attract more visitors. Their value lies not only in the recreational opportunities that they offer but also in their potential to stimulate local businesses and regenerate local areas. Blueways also provide an effective model for partnership between the private, community and voluntary sectors and relevant State bodies.

I am strongly of the view that the new configuration of my Department will offer significant opportunities for enhanced partnership on these matters and I look forward to working with my colleague, Minister of State Michael Ring, to that end.