Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 October 2013
278. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he intends to provide money to CIE to secure the disused railway line from Tralee, County Kerry, to the Kerry border for use as a greenway in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45468/13]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to his Parliamentary Question No. 278 of 4th July 2013 and the subsequent letter to him from the CIÉ Group Secretary of 19th July 2013. The position regarding ownership of the line remains unchanged.
Both my Department and CIÉ are fully supportive of the development of greenways along disused rail lines and recognise the benefits of these initiatives to the local economy through tourism related opportunities as well as the benefits to the community from a transport and recreational perspective. My Department recently announced the provision of €6.5 million to the Local Authority National Cycle Network (NCN) Funding Programme to fund the development of such infrastructure. As part of the competitive process for the funding, priority will be given to cycleway projects that are off road and have the potential to be world class trip attractors in their own right.
It will be a matter for local authorities to identify those projects that are most closely aligned with the criteria set out in the funding call and to work with interested parties and key stakeholders such as CIÉ to secure any necessary lands or infrastructure along the proposed routes.
