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Ministers O’Brien & Noonan welcome announcement of €6m for Ulster Canal Greenway

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD and the Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan TD, have today (Friday 18 December 2020) welcomed the announcement of Government’s approval of over €6m in funding from the Shared Island Fund to enable the continued restoration of the Ulster Canal and further development of the Ulster Canal Greenway.

Commenting following a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council Minister O’Brien said, “This is a significant North-South project which is aligned to the recent commitments of the New Decade, New Approach, and the Programme for Government, and further demonstrates Government commitment to North South cooperation and the concept of a Shared Island. 

“Given that the Central Border area will be most directly affected by Brexit, this project will be important in mitigating its impacts in the region with vast potential to stimulate economic activity. Reconstruction and development of the canal will not only offer direct employment opportunities, but the increased economic activity along the route will result in new or expanding business which will also deliver jobs to the local areas in recreation, tourist and heritage sectors.

Minister of State Noonan added, “This project will provide havens for both communities and visitors to experience diverse recreational, sporting, educational and training opportunities, to appreciate our fascinating heritage and natural ecosystems, while connecting the Ulster Canal by navigable waterway to the Erne System and onward to the Shannon Erne Waterway, the Shannon Navigation, the Royal and Grand Canals towards Dublin and further south along the Barrow Line and Barrow Navigation.  The Department and Waterways Ireland will continue to forge ahead with the full realisation of the amenity of the Ulster Canal,” he concluded.

ENDS

Ulster Canal .pdf (size 276 KB)