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The Irish Government has told local authorities that funding will be available for any greenway plans they have in coming year once those projects are ready to begin.
Just over a month ago it was announced greenways across the country had been awarded an extra €63 million in funding; 15 projects receiving the funds in ten counties.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said while the country, and rest
of the world, had faced Covid-19 for about a year, a much bigger and longer
term “existential” threat was that of climate change.
He added facilities like greenways would be one of the
winners as Ireland and other nations in the European Council sought to reduce
greenhouse emissions.
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At a recent meeting of the council he said it took 23 hours
to agree on a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent over
the next decade.
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"One or two countries were holding out and the rest
of the member states felt we just have to stick at this until we get a result
for the younger generations,” he said.
“And that's what some leaders said, that we need to do
this for the younger generations, we cannot have failure at this meeting.
"We're not holding back, there's a huge opportunity
in terms of greenways and walkways,” he said of the moves Irish society needed
to make.
"I've said to local authorities anywhere I meet
them: 'dust down your plans.' Any shovel-ready projects, there will be funding
for them because the quality of life that is improved because of just a simple
greenway being provided is enormous.
“People keep talking to me about the Dungarvan route for
example and the enormous impact that has had on people's quality of life. So, I
would like to see more and more of that."
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