David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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536. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received a request from Waterford City and County Council for the development of the greenway in County Waterford; if so, the amount sought and granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22786/17]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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537. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount his Department has made available to date in 2017 in funding for the greenway in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22787/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 537 together.

My Department awarded funding to Waterford City and County Council for two sections of the Déise Greenway. Under the National Cycle Network Funding Programme 2014-2016, €897k was awarded to deliver the Clonea to Durrow section with a further €1.1m awarded from the Government Stimulus Package 2014 to deliver the Kilmeaden to Bilberry section.

Funding of €552k was also awarded to the Council for the development of the original 4km track from Dungarvan town to Clonea as part of my Department's funding for the Smarter Travel Demonstration Project in Dungarvan.

I am aware that the Council has incurred considerable costs in delivering the entire greenway and have provided a wonderful facility not only for locals but for the entire country and indeed for visitors to Ireland. My Department received a request for significant additional funding of €5.5m in November 2015 but were unable to facilitate that request at that time as there was no funding available. Waterford City and County Council has recently submitted some details of costs being incurred on ongoing works on the Greenway and the question of funding for those works is currently being considered by my Department having regard to available resources. My Department is liaising with the Council in that regard at present.