Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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933. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on doubling the amount of funding available through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme to help support more rails, walkways, cycleways and blueways and outdoor recreational infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3744/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and/or enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as cycleways, walking trails, blueways and mountain access routes in rural areas. The scheme provides funding for small, medium and large-scale projects, with maximum funding of €500,000 for any single large-scale project.

Since 2016, my Department has invested almost €55.2 million in 920 projects under the scheme.

Exchequer funding for the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme in 2020 was €10 million. Recognising the importance of outdoor recreation to our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly at this time, I secured a 20% increase in funding for the scheme this year, to €12 million. This is a significant increase and I will keep the position under review in the context of Budget 2022 and beyond.

It should be noted that Fáilte Ireland also provides a financial contribution to projects approved under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and will provide €4 million in additional funding for the 2021 scheme. The combined funding provided by my Department and Fáilte Ireland will allow for the approval of a large number of outdoor recreation projects this year.

Through the Department of Transport, the Government also provides funding for regional and national scale greenways, which are an important part of our outdoor recreation infrastructure.