Active Travel Routes in Donegal secure major funding

Donegal is to receive funding totalling €5.3 million for Active Travel routes in the county, the fourth highest allocation to any county in Ireland.

This funding is part of an overall programme to ensure the delivery of almost 1,000 kilometres of improved walking and cycling infrastructure across the country by 2025. 

Welcoming the announcement, which will "accelerate the delivery of walking and cycling facilities across the county", Donegal Green Party Chairman Michael White said: “This is great news for Donegal. We have lobbied our colleagues in Dublin since August to promote Donegal’s case.

"This new funding is a huge boost to the rollout of Active Travel infrastructure. It will enable Donegal County Council to expand the great work they are already doing in delivering new walking and cycling routes across the county, and we will continue to support that work in any way we can.  

"In particular, we are pushing for a new cycleway in Moville, Inishowen that runs past John Hume’s house to be named in his honour. We are also pressing for new cycleways and walkways in Carndonagh, Letterkenny, Milford, Stranorlar and Donegal Town.” 

The Programme for Government committed €1.8 billion to be spent on walking and cycling up to 2025, or more than €300 million per year.

Today’s announcement allocates a total of €72.8m to ensures that the funding will be available to deliver an increasing volume of new projects. The NTA had originally earmarked €50m for this scheme but due to the volume of project proposals being developed by local authorities, it has been increased to over €70m. 

At today’s announcement, Minister Eamon Ryan said: “Today’s allocation marks another significant step forward in providing green sustainable transport options to those outside of the large urban centres. 

"Developing high quality walking and cycling facilities will encourage more people to switch to active travel and will contribute to tackling climate change. Connecting communities and making walking and cycling attractive, safe and accessible to everyone is what this funding will help to accomplish. 

"The projects being funded today will make a real difference to rural communities across the country and this is only the beginning. 

I look forward to seeing these projects progress over the coming year and to developing high quality walking and cycling networks over the course of this government," concluded Minister Ryan.