Direstor of Services Mr. Shane Tiernan presented an update on the current status of the Galway to Athlone Greenway Project as follows: 

This project is being jointly managed by Westmeath, Galway and Roscommon County Councils in conjunction with TII. After a five-year pause, the 140km Galway to Athlone section of the Greenway is being developed with a fresh new start.  New consultants, RPS from Galway, were appointed earlier this year to develop a route for the Galway to Athlone Greenway. Currently there are more than 100km of the Galway to Dublin Greenway between Maynooth and Athlone open to the public. A new cycle bridge is to be constructed across the Shannon next year connecting this section to Athlone Castle. The proposed Galway to Athlone greenway will extend from Athlone Castle to a location in Galway City, likely to be at Ballyloughane, where Galway City Council and the NTA will together undertake the planning and development of the Greenway across the City to link with the proposed Connemara Greenway.

Only connection points at Athlone and Galway have been identified to date. The project team will be approaching the selection and location of a new route with an open mind.  The first stage is a Constraints Study which is now underway, and the study area is being considered as a blank canvas. The Project Team are initially assessing and determining the lands within the study area that are already in state ownership, including those owned by Government Agencies, Government Departments and Local Authorities.  It is hoped to hold the first public consultation later this summer and it is assured that the project will only progress to the second stage after public consultation has informed the Constraints Study.

A project office has been established above the Library in Ballinasloe and will be staffed by personnel from the Councils and the recently appointed consultants RPS. It is planned to open the Project Office later this summer in line with Government health and safety guidance, as it will enable local progress and engagement with the public and landowners. In the meantime, website is being updated https://www.galwaytodublincycleway.ie/ and the team is working on preparing for public consultation activities in the coming months.

Separately a working group involving the various stakeholders including landowner representatives, namely the IFA, ICMSA and ICSA, with the assistance of an independent Facilitator, are making progress towards developing a Code of Best Practice and Guide to Process document outlining the arrangements and procedures for the delivery of National and Regional Greenways and to deal fairly with the implementation of the related land acquisition. This group have listened and collaborated with each other since June 2019 and are hopeful that the Code of Best Practice will be concluded soon.

The members welcomed the update on the greenway and debated as follows:

·         This is a welcome tourism initiative and welcome the plans to complete of the project

·         Roscommon should look for a spur to Hodson Bay and entrepreneurs would welcome such a development.

·         This project has had difficulties in the past and where possible the use of public land is the best option.

·         This will be an opportunity to open up areas of County Roscommon to more tourism

·         Welcome the project in two phases and commercial opportunities should be explored.

·         The Greenway should be brought up the River Shannon throughout Roscommon and utilise the Bord na Mona rail network

·         In current circumstances, the greenway is an excellent facility to encourage people to holiday at home.