Senator John McGahon- speech from 07 Oct 2021

Thank you very much Lasky-Hairlock. Minister, today I just want to talk about the concept of greenways and blueways and I want to start referencing off the Waterford Greenway, like we all know the Waterford Greenway right across this country, it's become a destination greenway, people are going to Waterford to stay there, to go in the greenway, to utilise it. So I want to talk about how we can replicate that and create a destination greenway in County Louth and I just want to give you some of the context to greenways in County Louth. County Louth was actually quite ahead of its time in developing greenways, they've become, not to use a word like trendy, but they've become very popular in the last couple of years. County Louth was developing the Carlingford to Omeath Greenway in 2011, 2012, 2013 and was quite ahead of its time in terms of the local authority trying to prepare that. At the current state of greenways is, we have a greenway stretching from Carlingford to Omeath, we're currently in the process of building one from Omeath to the Northern Irish border. On the other side, you have Nury, Moran and District Council are building a greenway from Nury to Victoria Lock to meet our greenway at the border and that's a really good example of cross-border cooperation. We have seen so many small indigenous companies spring up around greenways and that's why they're so good, they actually bring business to an area, obviously when you're bringing people to an area. And it can be business like electric scooters, it can be stuff like, there's great things in Carlingford there that companies have sprung up where they're providing day packages and picnics for anyone who wants to go on the greenway. But what's the, and so that's the context of it, but what's the long-term vision? So my long-term vision for it is, is two-fold. I would absolutely love to see the concept of a Louth coastal greenway. Louth, Louth's geographical area is so well placed that we're an hour north from Dublin, we're an hour south from Belfast. There's about two million people live in this whole region between Dublin and Belfast or the island of Ireland. So we're so well positioned at such a short trip to make a real business case for something like this. And my goal is, and my long-term vision is to see that coastal greenway stretching from Drogheda right up the coastline with a huge, wonderful view of Dundalk Bay, the Moor Mountains and County Down, the Cooley Mountains in North Louth, stretching through Black Rock, Dundalk and on out to Carlingford. So I suppose what I'm asking here today is, like that's a big, big project and that's a big, big vision naturally. And Louth County Council are very focused on trying to get patchworks of the greenway together. So what can government do to come along to local authorities to try and help them with that, to say, okay, what's the big picture here? It's a 10 to 15 year project. There's no point saying it's going to be magic up anytime soon. So how do we help with the strategy with that with government? The final thing that I'd like to reference is two things actually. The concept of, so in Dundalk we have, I grew up playing on the Navibank walkway. It's one of the most idyllic walks in Dundalk and it gets down to the bottom of it and it's a dead end. And the big long-term goal there is to connect that up with some sort of a greenway walkway from the Navibank Dundalk right around to Black Rock, a picturesque village outside of the town. But one of the reasons why we can't apply for funding for a greenway yet is because we have huge amounts of money for sea farm studies and we have to reinforce the sea barriers along that part between Dundalk and Black Rock. And until those sea farm studies are complete and that, what's the word for it, I just can't think of it, the sea barrier basically, until that's there and it's being built we can't put in for planning permission for a greenway until that, so it's like a chicken and egg scenario, until that comes along we can't go for a greenway along there. That would be huge, you know, I really have a view that we could have our whole country connected up by greenways, we are doing that, I think Lowood is a great way to start and just in my final couple of seconds, the concept of blueways, like in County Lowood you have the Glide River, we have the Fane River, it's an underutilised aspect of tourism, I think it's something we're only going to be starting to realise the benefit of it now and I'd love to know what the government's strategy is with encouraging local authorities to promote and to get blueways going. Thank you Senator, and I'll call on the Minister in your four minutes to reply, thank you. Thank you Senator Boyne, and thank you Senator McGann for giving me the opportunity to talk about greenways and blueways in County Louth, obviously on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I think firstly it's important to note that the development of greenways in Louth is first and foremost the responsibility of Louth and the County Council, and I know you referenced them, so they should liaise, Senator, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, because they have recently taken over the responsibility to develop the rollout of greenways under the strategy for the future development of national and regional greenways, urban greenways and active travel infrastructure is within the remit of the National Transport Authority, so there's a bit of a grey area with regard to cross-border greenways, and Louth County Council should continue to work with the Department of Transport in that regard. Blueways are a matter for Waterways Ireland, who are not a body under the remit of the Department of Transport, but as I'm sure you're aware, under the auspices of the Department of Heritage, which was my old department, and they do a lot of good work in terms of blueways. The Department of Transport is currently funding two greenway sections in Louth. First of all, there's pre-construction funding of £200,000, which was awarded in 2020 from the Carbon Tax Fund for a section from Carlingford to Templetown, and the Department is also a co-funder of an inter-reg project from the Carlingford-Lock Greenway section from Carlingford to Newry. And I understand that a design team have been appointed for the Carlingford to Templetown section, and they've commenced baseline data collection for the project, which will go towards informing the route options. So the Carlingford-Lock Greenway, Omeath to Newry section is a joint project between Louth County Council and Newry, Moorn and Down District Council, an east border region that is co-funded by the EU inter-reg programme. 12.35 kilometres of greenway is to be delivered in this project, and a 3.5 kilometre section was completed in 2018 in Northern Ireland from Vittorio-Lock to join the greenway from Newry. And three further sections are being completed, a 2 kilometre section from Vittorio-Lock to the border, a 4.2 kilometre section from the border to Omeath, and a 2.65 section from Carlingford to Marina. And 10 documents for the main construction contract are being prepared for issuing on completion of planning application in Northern Ireland. And I understand that there are several other greenway sections being planned by Louth County Council, Senator, including the Green Eastern Greenway, the Louth Coastal Way, Dundalk to Sligal Greenway and De Boyne Greenway. And it's important that Louth County Council engage as early as possible, Senator, with landowners who might be potentially impacted by any route, and that they carry out as much work as possible ahead of the next funding call, so that they are well positioned to be awarded funding. So they should also engage with as many stakeholders as possible, particularly the National Parks and Wildlife Service, to avoid any potential environmental problems. There are also future plans around Transport Infrastructure Ireland. They have recently commenced work on developing a national cycle network as well. And I note your comments around small and indigenous companies bringing up around greenways, they do bring a lot of economic viability to an area, and they are definitely worth bringing forward. But I think the key really is getting Louth County Council to work with the National Transport Infrastructure Ireland around developing new greenways into the future. And there will always be further funding calls as well for construction, for other construction under the National and Regional Greenway projects, and they can certainly put in some submissions around that also. Thank you, Minister Gill. Senator McGahn, one minute. Thank you so much for that, Minister. Yeah, and I'd just like to take the opportunity to pay particular tribute to the staff in Louth County Council, and in particular, Pat O'Rourke. Pat was ahead of his time again when it comes to greenways and was advocating for them, you know, a decade ago when greenways weren't the done thing or seemed to be quite difficult when you took into consideration the trouble with CPOs and engaging with landowners and stuff. So the council have been really, really good about it. And the response there is excellent. It's good to see that we really have some good, good long-term visions, not just from my own county of Louth, but right across this country, licking it up to Sligo, the Great Eastern Greenway. But the big point is, this is really great stuff, and it's really aspirational, and it's really ambitious. And I just want to make sure that we have these plans on track, that they're not just aloof, faraway ideas of nice things that we'd like to do. And the way you've said we do that, Minister, is through continued engagement between officials in Louth County Council and the National Transport Authority and the such alike. And if we do that, hopefully these long-term ambitions can be something that we'll all be able to see and enjoy in the years to come in County Louth. Thank you, Senator. Minister, please. Yeah, thank you, Senator. You're correct. I think that ongoing collaboration and engagement will be important between the various different agencies, Louth County Council in particular, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland. There are, as I said, two greenways at the moment being constructed, if you like, so Carlingford to Templetown and Carlingford to Newry as well. And as I said, around Blueways, it's Waterways Ireland, who are the main body, it's under their aegis. So it's worth, obviously, the Louth County Council engaging with them in terms of developing, because, you know, when you're talking about that long-term, Louth coastal greenway that you alluded to, which I think would be of huge benefit to that area, and bringing the view from Drogheda and the view of Dundalk onto Carlingford. It is a long-term project, but it's not something that could, it's not within, with outside the bounds of possibility, and it's something that could be considered. And, again, it's just about engagement and collaboration. Thank you, Senator.