Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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239.To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the completion of the cross-border Carlingford Lough Greenway; to provide the total allocation; the expenditure to date; the amount that is contained with expenditure ceilings laid out in the Stability Programme Update and Summer Economic Statement and the amount that will have to come from additional funding; the date the project was started; and the projected date of completion, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34831/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to National and Regional Greenways. My Department allocated c. €3m in 2024 to ensure the completion of this project in County Louth. At the end of August 2024, approximately €1m has been drawn down, it is expected that all claims for this allocation will be submitted by Louth County Council by the end of 2024. This allocation relates to the completion of two sections – 1.3km from Carlingford Marina to Carlingford village and 4.5km from Omeath to the Border, my officials have advised that these sections are available for use by the public. No additional funding has been sought by Louth County Council at this time.

An allocation of €1.5m to complete the section of the Carlingford Lough Greenway in County Down was announced by Department of Taoiseach in February 2024 as part of the Shared Island funding initiative. This funding is being administered by the Department of Transport on behalf of the Department of Taoiseach. My officials have advised that construction works commenced in August 2024 on the last remaining section, a 1.7km section between Victoria Lock and the Border. No claims have been submitted to date, it is expected that €1m will be claimed by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in 2024. This section is also being supported by a £1.2m grant provided by the Department of Infrastructure (DfI). The Department of Transport does not have access to spend information held by the DfI and the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

It is anticipated that this Greenway route will be fully completed in early 2025, it is proposed that an official cross border event will be held to mark the opening of a continuous c. 20km route between Newry and Carlingford. This project has significantly benefited from EU funding via the INTERREG programme administered by the Special EU Programmes Body, this funding programme closed to eligible expenditure incurred after December 2023. I have been advised that claims are still processed by the SPEUB and that c. €7m was allocated to this project under the INTERREG programme. This project commenced in 2017.

I look forward to the completion of this cross-border Greenway in the coming months.