Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

88. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Programme for Government commitment to develop coastal greenways and off road cycle routes, such as the East Coast Greenway. [32455/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is working with local authorities and appropriate agencies to continue developing an integrated national network of greenways to be used by commuters, students, leisure cyclists and tourists and to support cross-border greenway projects.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland will be commencing work on a National Cycle Network this year and is due to finish this work in 2022. This Network will comprise Greenways, other off road cycle routes, lower trafficked roads, and will build on the work of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in the GDA Cycle Network Plan and the Regional Cities Cycle Network plans.

Under the Strategy for the Future Development of Regional and Local Greenways, €40m was invested by the previous Government in 2019 to co-fund nine construction-ready Greenways. This co-funding was significantly increased following my appointment as Minister in 2020 to one hundred per cent Exchequer funding with a total allocation to these projects of €76m. The total allocation for Greenways in 2021 is over €63m which is the highest single year figure for Greenways by some margin.

My Department has continued to co-support cross-border Greenways under the EU Interreg V programme, including the Carlingford to Newry Greenway on the East Coast.

In 2020 my Department allocated €4.5m in co-funding for 26 pre-construction phase projects, including Preliminary Design and Environmental Evaluation for a 12.3 km section from the Tourist Office in Carlingford to Templetown Beach. This will provide us with a pipeline of projects that will come to construction over the coming years and see us achieve the goal set out in the Greenways Strategy of increasing the number and geographical spread of Greenways around the country.

In relation to planned routes outlined in the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan that would potentially form part of the East Coast Greenway, this document was prepared in 2013 by the NTA and I will therefore refer the Deputy’s query to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

My Department will continue to work with stakeholders and other government departments to deliver on cycling infrastructure commitments in the Programme for Government.