Fine Gael Minister Ciaran Cannon has welcomed the creation of a dedicated funding stream by Transport Minister Shane Ross to support local authorities in bringing new greenway projects to construction.
The funding scheme of €4.5m was announced this week by Minister Ross and all applications for funding under the scheme must be submitted in 2020.
“This is an exceptionally positive development in our campaign to develop the Quiet Man Greenway connecting Athenry to Milltown. This new fund can be used to carry out feasibility studies, do design work, and carry out all the necessary environmental and planning assessments, in other words to get the project ready to go to construction.
“Galway Co. Council previously applied for funds to carry out a feasibility study and were refused on the basis that feasibility studies can’t be funded under the current National Greenway Strategy fund. Therefore we have an application already prepared that could and should be submitted immediately”, said Minister Cannon.
“In addition this new funding scheme does not require matching funds from Galway Co. Council. All of the costs associated with the carrying out of a feasibility study would be fully borne by the Department of Transport and Tourism. I’m now calling on all of our councillors to put down a motion for their next monthly meeting directing that Galway Co Council makes an application for funds under this new scheme.
“It’s the perfect opportunity for us to move our Quiet Man Greenway project onto the next phase and we can’t waste it”, he continued.
“Finally, many people may not be aware that in the recent agreement reached to get the Northern Assembly back up and running, there is a unique commitment to develop a new greenway connecting Sligo to Enniskillen and both the Irish and British governments have committed to co-funding its construction. Bearing in mind that Sligo Co. Council is already planning to construct a greenway on the northern section of the disused Western Rail Corridor, there is now the very real possibility of being able to build a greenway connecting Enniskillen to Athenry, which would be utterly transformative in terms of job creation and the wellbeing of our people”, concluded Minister Cannon.
