Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the planned greenway from Athlone Castle to Eyre Square, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48011/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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In 2018 I asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to manage the development of the Dublin-Galway greenway project which includes the Athlone Castle to Eyre Square section.  Since then progress has been made on certain sections of the route and also on various other matters in relation to the project. For example, the section from Maynooth to Athlone has been completed and an underpass has been constructed in Athlone that will permit the completion of the sections east of the Shannon in 2020.

Funding of €3m has been allocated for continued planning and design works for the Athlone to Galway section of the Galway to Dublin Greenway for 2020. A project office to progress the Athlone to Galway section is being established. The procurement process of the technical advisors will be completed around the end of this month and both the technical advisors and local authority staff will be based at the Ballinasloe project office from the new year. In addition officials are working with TII and other stakeholders to develop a Code of Best Practice for Greenways as set out in the Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways.

I am committed to progressing this project and finding an agreed route that has the support of local communities and that will, once completed, provide a world class piece of infrastructure enabling people, from both home and abroad, to cycle and walk from coast to coast.