James Leonard
Question:34 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if a cost benefit analysis has been carried out on the restoration of the Ulster canal. [6344/95]
Written Answers. - Ulster Canal Restoration.
One of the recommendations of the National Canals and Waterways Strategy report published in 1992 was that the feasibility of restoring the Ulster Canal should be investigated in co-operation with the NI Authorities.
Last year, as a first step in the project, my Department gave agreement in principle to discussions being entered into by the Waterways Service and the appropriate Northern Ireland authorities regarding the engineering logistics of reopening the canal. As a result of these discussions a preliminary assessment of the Ulster Canal was undertaken and a report has been produced. It is now intended as a next step, to commission a consultant to assess the likely levels of use of a restored canal.