Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Ulster Canal project; the funding which has been spent to date on this; the stage it is at; her further plans for this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12320/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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One of my main priorities since taking Ministerial office has been the restoration of the Ulster Canal. I secured 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 on 24^thFebruary 2015.

The project, which comprises three work phases, is being undertaken by Waterways Ireland.

Waterways Ireland has issued the letter of award in respect of works to complete the 3rd and final phase, Phase 3, of the navigation to Castle Saunderson and, subject to the stand still period required by the EU Remedies Directive and no objections from other tenderers, the tender will be awarded by 20 March 2017. It is anticipated that a contractor will be on site towards the end of April 2017.

An amount of €2,000,574 has been spent on the project to date.