Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development how much of the €5 million allocated to the blue ways tourism fund that has been drawn down in Kildare south; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48882/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for funding of €409 million for projects costing €560 million.

Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place, and which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications.

The Barrow Blueway project was awarded funding of €5,067,941 under the second Call for Category 1 proposals to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund in 2019. The total cost of the project is €6,757,254. The amount of funding drawn down to date is €4,190,669.

The project will develop a 46km stretch of the Barrow Blueway, located along the Grand Canal Barrow Line from Lowtown to Athy in Co. Kildare, taking in Vicarstown in Co. Laois. The blueway will be an exciting recreational resource for the communities nearby and visitors to the areas, with the potential to deliver significant tourism and economic benefits while also securing the natural amenities and ecosystem which the canal provides.

The project is progressing well with the tow paths and road crossing works under construction.