Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding provided in her Department's Estimates for 2017 for the restoration of the Ulster Canal; the expenditure to date; the projected expenditure by year end; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40910/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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One of my 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 February 2015.

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

The works to complete the project are in the 3rd and final phase of delivery. The contract to create a new 250 km section of canal and the construction of a new road bridge north of the existing Derrykerrib Bridge is progressing well.

The Contractors are currently on site with completion anticipated by autumn 2018 subject to weather conditions and Water levels over the 2017 /2018 winter. The temporary access road is complete and work has started on the canal wall excavations.

To the end of August 2017, a total of €2,004,447.66 has been spent on the entire Ulster Canal project. A further expenditure of €954,065 is forecast to the end of 2017.