'Red tape' stalls Barna greenway
The Barna Greenway appears to have fallen foul of State bureaucracy after it failed to be included in the latest round of cycle and pedestrian paths to be funded by the Government.
In a parliamentary question by Galway West TD Catherine Connolly last July, Transport Minister Shane Ross replied that the greenway was proposed by the Galway Transport Strategy and implementation of that strategy was a matter for the local authorities.
Funding from his Department was available to support the rollout of projects administered by the National Transport Authority (NTA), he said, and referred Deputy Connolly’s question to them.
However, the agency replied last month that while the NTA was responsible for funding urban cycle routes in regional cities such as Galway, the funding of greenways nationally, including the Barna Greenway, is the responsibility of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Deputy Connolly then wrote to Galway City Council, asking if the project had been included in the latest budget.
In their response, a spokesperson for the Transportation Department stated that nationally all greenways were paused by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport until a national strategy was developed.
“As such, the Barna Greenway was paused and is not included in our current 2019 Annual Service Plan and we have no budget provision for same.”
The Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways was launched back in July, 2018 which called for applications from local authorities for greenways to be built up to 2021.
The last Government announcement on greenways was in June when Minister Ross and Minister of State, Brendan Griffin, announced funding for ten greenway projects around the country under Project Ireland 2040.
Included was €2.6m for the 21km stretch of the Connemara Greenway between Clifden and Recess. There was no mention of the greenway from Barna to Salthill, through the Claddagh, onto Ravens Terrace, along the Eglinton Canal, meeting the Connemara Greenway which begins at Dangan.
Spokesman for the Galway Urban Greenway Alliance, Tiernan McCusker, said the group together with a delegation of community organisations planned to meet with the City Chief Executive Brendan McGrath to see if any progress could be made on the project.
Deputy Connolly said she was “taken aback and disappointed” to learn that no provision had been made in the 2019 budget for the Barna greenway.
“And even more alarming was the reason given by Galway City Council – that the project was paused until a national strategy was developed. That strategy had already been published in July 2018, almost six months before the budget was agreed,” she fumed.
“The Barna Greenway is a vital piece of infrastructure and the rollout of same should be a matter of priority in keeping with government policy. The City Council has to show leadership and make provision for Barna Greenway in the 2020.”
The Alliance has been organising a family cycle between the Claddagh and Salthill every month to highlight the need for a safe and segregated walking route. The next cycle takes place this Sunday morning from Claddagh Hall at 11am.