Greenways and rural walkways
Deputy Moynihan seeks support for rural walking and cycleways, especially the Ó Suilleabháin Beara route and a locked-out Muskerry group. The Taoiseach says he has walked part of the route, finds it compelling, and expects further greenway funding under the ten-year investment plan.
The greenways, rural walking and cycleways provide a great opportunity for rural communities in bringing tourism and income into areas. The programme for Government gives a commitment to double funding and advance the rural walks scheme. The Ó Suilleabháin Beara walk from west Cork to Leitrim was already developed and landowners are maintaining it. It is working. However, there is a group in the middle, in the Muskerry area, which is locked out. The scheme was closed while it was developing its walkway. Landowners to their north and west are able to access the scheme but these people are locked out. Other communities also wish to bring tourism into their areas by reusing abandoned railways and so on. What will happen in respect of reopening these schemes for rural walks and when will it happen?
Comment on this
I walked a section of that great greenway near Millstreet. I find the Ó Suilleabháin Beara story very compelling. I walked it with one of our former colleagues, former Deputy Áine Collins, and I provided funding for a bridge along the walkway. The issue of greenways is an infrastructure funding matter. I am confident that money would be provided for additional greenways and rural walkways in the ten year investment plan once it is published.