Minister reiterates government commitment to the Dublin Galway Greenway


The Minister for Transport, Pascal O'Donohue, has reiterated the governments commitment to completing the Dublin Galway greenway. 

Speaking to the Shannonside newsroom, Minister O'Donohue said that he recognises that there was disappointment in Roscommon, where there was major landowner support, when funding was reallocated to the Kildare and Meath sections. But the minister says that getting full support for the landowners along the route is very important and that the government will continue to seek consensus over the coming years.

In October it was announced that funding which had been in place for the final part of the Dublin to Galway cycleway was being diverted to Kildare and Meath, because of difficulties with landowners.

From west of the Shannon, the cycleway passes through private farmland, and local farmers are concerned about the potential impacts in terms of loss of land, disruption of farming operations, and security issues. An IFA backed campaign against the greenway forced the government to pause the project west of the Shannon. The farmers have suggested routing to greenway onto busy national roads and say that the only solution is to run the greenway along the old N6. Cycling groups have raised major concerns to this option and research by Tourism Ireland claims that cycling tourists will not use a cycleway that is on a busy road.

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