Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 January 2026
477. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken by his Department to support the development and promotion of greenways as tourism and regional economic assets; how these supports are contributing to sustainable tourism and local enterprise in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2146/26]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for the overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to national and regional greenways. The planning, design and construction of individual greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the relevant local authority as the Sponsoring Agency responsible for delivery.
There is a commitment within the Programme for Government to ‘develop a connected network of greenways and cycle routes across Ireland’ signalling this Government’s commitment to progress Greenway routes. This is supported by the National Development Plan Transport Sectoral Plan, published in November 2025, which committed €360 million per annum for active travel and Greenways until 2030.
The primary focus of my Department via TII is to support the delivery of Greenway infrastructure ensuring continuous routes exceeding 20km that connect our towns and villages. Funding support has and will continue to be provided by TII to sponsoring authorities to fund ancillary infrastructure such as seating areas, bike stands, information stands and car parking facilities. Considerable resources have been invested to ensure that Greenway routes are fully accessible - to provide a user-friendly and low risk environment for all abilities they must adhere to strict standards of width, gradient and surface condition with appropriate traffic signalling at junctions to facilitate safe passage for all users. My Department intends to launch a Greenways website in 2026 which will offer accurate and timely information to visitors on individual routes in a consistent format.
My officials have a good working relationship with colleagues in Fáilte Ireland who are tasked with the promotion of greenways as a tourism asset with regularly scheduled meetings to ensure good lines of communication.
Greenways have been a tremendous success for rural Ireland in showcasing our beautiful landscape, bringing visitors to previously overlooked areas as well as providing economic opportunities to communities. While Greenways are an important leisure facility, they deliver an array of benefits including providing safe, healthy and sustainable options to facilitate everyday journeys whether that be commutes, trips to the shops or school journeys.
