“GRAVE CONCERN” has been expressed by a Clare TD for the future of the West Clare Railway Greenway.
Clare TD, Joe Cooney (FG) has said a recent decision by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) not to approve a funding application from Clare County Council to advance a significant portion of the 100-kilometre greenway has raised fears locally that the scale and economic ambition of the project is being undermined.
A TII allocation of €850,000 has been provided for the progression of the Kilrush to Kilkee section of the Greenway in 2025, with an additional €500,000 approved for the Ennis to Ennistymon section.
However the section from Ennistymon to Miltown Malbay and onto Moyasta has not been successful in securing funding to bring it to the next stage of development.
TII have said they will “give consideration to funding the progression of the Ennistymon to Miltown Malbay and Miltown Malbay to Moyasta Greenway sections in 2026 taking cognisance of the limited funding available to TII generally and the many competing demands for such funding”.
Deputy Cooney has said he would be requesting the Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien (ff), and Ministers of State Seán Canney (IND) and Jerry Buttimer (FG) to permit any underspend in other Greenway projects being developed by Clare County Council, and across the country, to be reallocated to ensure the momentum for the unfunded sections of this project can continue.
“I have grave concerns for the development of the Greenway project from Ennistymon to Miltown Malbay and Miltown Malbay to Moyasta North, which represent a vital component of the larger Greenway,” the Clare TD said. “Despite landowner consultation that has been ongoing since 2017, the completion of a public consultation on route options along with tourism and appraisal studies, and the appointment of key specialists, including a Land Valuer, Project Agronomist, Legal Advisors, Quantity Surveyors and Landscape Architects, the Ennistymon to Moyasta segment of the proposed greenway has been denied the necessary funding to proceed to the next stage of development”.
Deputy Cooney continued, “This is a project that would transform tourism in this county at a time when the sector is facing significant challenges. We have seen the economic value of the Westport and Waterford Greenways to their respective local communities and, therefore, it is vital that this project receives the necessary support from TII and the Department of Transport. I will be requesting the Department consider other avenues for funding the Ennistymon to Moyasta sections of the Greenway, including the potential reallocation of any underspend on other Greenway projects across the county and the country”.
Former Senator, Roisin Garvey (GP) called on Clare’s Fianna Fáil TDs, Timmy Dooley (FF) and Cathal Crowe (FF) to deal with the matter and said the absence of funding for the Ennistymon to Moyasta section “is not good enough”.
She stated, “Clare has two Fianna Fáil TDs and the Minister for Transport is Fianna Fáil. Myself and Eamon Ryan got the West Clare Railway cycling route kicked off with lots of funding in previous year to progress this project. I worked really hard on getting it this far. Over 400 jobs have been created thanks to Mayo and Waterford Greenways. Antisocial behaviour decreases, loneliness decreases, tourism and bed nights increase hugely. Our children deserve and need this. Our tourism needs this. Our older people need this. We will all benefit”.
A targeted opening date of 2025 has been set by officials driving the project for Clare County Council when the project was in its enfancy. Initial estimates placed the expected cost at €80m. The 85km route is split into four sections, Kilrush to Kilkee, Ennis to Ennistymon, Ennistymon to Miltown Malbay and Miltown Malbay to Moyasta.
