Local TD Denis Naughten has said he is disappointed East Galway has missed out on Government funding for local greenway projects and he is urging community groups and Galway County Council to work together to exploit the investment already taking place in the adjoining parts of County Roscommon.
“Government has announced €1.5m for the planning phase of the Galway to Athlone greenway project, which is very welcome, but as this route will travel along the Shannon to Portumna and from there to Gort and onto Galway City, many parts of East Galway are not set to benefit from this investment,” stated Deputy Naughten.
“By contrast even though County Roscommon has one of the shortest stretches of the Dublin-Galway greenway, it and adjoining communities have secured €1.86m in funding to plan and develop local greenways which have huge potential to promote tourism and create long term sustainable job across the region.”
“This needs to change right across East Galway where communities and many landowners, working with State bodies, are very anxious to see greenways developed.
For example, the community in Ballyforan has already secured funding for a local greenway but this needs to be linked via the Bord na Mona bogs back into the town of Ballinasloe.
The same needs to happen from Ballinasloe to Aughrim so it can link up with the planned greenway from Athlone to Ballinasloe, creating a ‘Siege Cycleway’ linking Athlone Castle to the Battle of Aughrim Interpretative Centre.
“These are just two examples of the many local opportunities throughout East Galway that could be modelled along the plans in County Roscommon where the strategy is focused on utilising our bogs, public lands and public access to develop more walking and cycling routes across the region which will benefit local families as well as visitors.
“Bord na Mona has a land holding of just under 200,000 acres across the country and, as a result, there is a considerable land bank where peat extraction has now ceased, which would naturally flood, and where work on rehabilitation can start including the provision of recreational facilities such as walking and cycling trails” concluded Denis Naughten.
