Cross-Border Co-operation

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Questions (97)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

97. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the cross-Border greenway projects being considered as part of the Shared Island Fund. [11807/21]

View answer

Written answers

In Budget 2021, the Government announced the Shared Island Fund, with €500 million to be made available out to 2025, ring-fenced for Shared Island projects. The Shared Island Fund provides significant new, multiannual capital funding for investment on a strategic basis in collaborative North-South projects that will support the commitments and objectives of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Government’s priorities for such investment are set out in the Programme for Government and include:

- Working with the Executive to deliver key cross-border infrastructure initiatives, including the A5, the Ulster Canal, the Narrow Water Bridge, and cross-border Greenways, including the Sligo-Enniskillen greenway.

A number of Greenways in the border region have been progressing with support from my Department under the Carbon Tax Fund since July 2020. The projects listed below may be able to avail of funding from the Shared Island Fund when it is opened for applications.

Carbon Tax Fund 2020

Name of Project	Amount awarded	Managing/ Lead Managing Local Authority	Brief Description
Cavan Railway Greenway	€175,000	Cavan County Council	Options selection for the 26 km section from Ulster Canal Greenway, north of Castle Saunderson and with a link to the Cavan - Leitrim Greenway at Belturbet.
Inishowen Greenway	€45,000	Donegal County Council	Route options selection on an 8 km section from Muff to Quigley’s Point.
Inishowen Greenway	€180,000	Donegal County Council	Route options selection on a 32 km section from Buncrana to Cardonagh.
Foyle Valley Greenway	€115, 000	Donegal County Council	Route options for a 28 km section of the Foyle Valley Greenway from Carrigans to Castlefinn.
Sligo Leitrim Northern Counties Railway (SLNCR) Greenway	€500,000	Leitrim County Council	To bring a 75 km section from Sligo Town to Enniskillen through the statutory process.
Carlingford Greenway	€200,000	Louth County Council	Preliminary Design and Environmental Evaluation for a 12 km section from the Tourist Office in Carlingford to Templetown Beach.
Ulster Canal Greenway	€100,000	Monaghan County Council	Preliminary Design and Environmental Evaluation for a 14 km section from Smithborough to Clones.
Total	€1,315,000

In December, the Government approved over €6m in funding from the Shared Island Fund to launch the delivery of Phase 2 of the Ulster Canal and we are continuing to work in partnership with the Executive and through the North South Ministerial Council on the other cross-border investment projects, which are part of our Shared Island commitments in the Programme for Government. Progressing these projects was a key focus of our discussions at the North South Ministerial Council Plenary on Friday, 18 December.

I look forward to seeing these important cross-border Greenways progress over the coming years.