Government accused of using greenways as a distraction from providing real, permanent, safe road and rail transport infrastructure
News that Irish Rail has done a u-turn and is set to enter a lease agreement to create a greenway on the Sligo to Galway rail line has been slammed by opposition politicians and groups backing the reopening of the track.
Sligo/Leitrim TD Martin Kenny has called for a rail corridor along the western seaboard to be made a priority for government.
“The recent announcement by Irish Rail that they will cooperate in advancing a Greenway on the old railway track between Collooney, and Bellaghy, must not become a block to the development of the rail corridor along the western seaboard.
“Sligo has too long suffered from under development, and a lack of investment in infrastructure, particularly regarding rail.
“Government TDs in this constituency must make it clear that they are committed to developing the rail infrastructure so badly needed and will work with communities across the western region to fully develop the Western rail corridor all the way up to Sligo.
“In recent months, we have dealt with the issues around greenways in the Dail committees, and what has become clear from those sessions is that there are thousands of kilometres of Greenway’s being proposed around the country, the vast majority of which will never be built or used.
“I have concluded that greenway proposals have become an industry, a gravy train, for a certain number of consultancy companies and a distraction for government away from providing real, permanent, safe road and rail transport infrastructure which will enhance communities and develop economies.
“Many people from the north west have to travel to Galway for medical treatment and business and indeed for educational services, and having a proper railway line operating to connect these two centres of population is a priority. While leisure and cycling infrastructure is nice to have. It is insignificant in comparison to developing the railway line,” said the Sinn Féin TD.
Senator Nessa Cosgrove, Labour Party Spokesperson on Rural and Community Development echoed Deputy Kenny’s call.
“People in Sligo, Leitrim and South Donegal are sick of the flip-flopping on this issue. They are sick of receiving crumbs from Dublin’s table, and most of all they are sick of waste.
“Between €1 and €1.6 million has already been spent on planning and developing a Greenway. We do not even have reliable estimates for what will be spent on the construction of what is described as a temporary infrastructure.
“This is a Greenway, which, even its greatest supporters say, will be ripped up when the railway is restored. How are our local representatives endorsing waste on temporary projects, rather than supporting long-term measures which could reduce the cost of living, and improve the quality of life for thousands of people, including disabled people, the elderly, those travelling to Galway for cancer treatment, study and work. Are we once again going to witness and accept, the wilful waste of taxpayers hard-earned money on a temporary project that will serve only a few?
“The upper estimate to reinstate the entire stretch between Clarmorris and Collooney is around €450 million. We could reinstate the entire 74.5km stretch of the Western Rail Corridor for less cost than 1KM of the Dublin Metro.”
“The obvious question which occurs to me is, if Sligo County Council are to develop the 35km stretch between Collooney and Bellaghy, what are Mayo County Council going to do with the other 39.5km? The Oireachtas members in Mayo are united with their County Council colleagues. They want a rail line connecting Ireland West Airport to the rest of the West.
“I recently heard a commentator saying that tourists would land at Knock, hire bikes and make their way to Sligo and beyond on the Greenway. That may be true of a small number of tourists. More are likely to make their way to Charlestown, where they will be able to board a train to Claremorris, Galway and beyond.
“At certain times it feels as if our three Government TDs are actively campaigning in favour of Dublin against the best interests of the North-West.”
The Western Inter-County Railway Committee, representing eight local authorities from Donegal to Clare, believes removing the railway from Collooney to Charlestown is “an appalling mistake.”
Cllr. Michael Connolly, Cathaoirleach WICRC said:
“At a time when the railway from Galway to Mayo is about to be developed for passenger and freight traffic it is difficult to understand how any public representative could claim that the wilful destruction of a prime infrastructural asset like the western rail corridor could be described as progress for Sligo.
“Surely Sligo is entitled to have the same level of investment and development as its neighbours?
“Deputies Harkin, Feighan and Scanlon now need to tell the people of Sligo how a seasonal amenity like a greenway will offer major economic benefits when compared to an inter-city railway.
“As far as leasing agreements are concerned, people would need to be very gullible indeed to swallow the notion that the millions needed to put down a greenway can be instantly written off and the greenway ripped up once a railway is required.
“The recent experience of Cork County Council in replacing the railway to Youghal with a greenway is clear proof that agreements of this kind have no credibility.
“Once a greenway is put down, it will stay down and one can only imagine the campaign that would be mounted by the anti-rail lobby once the State seeks the return of its asset.
“It should also be remembered that there is absolute unanimity in Mayo County Council about the necessity to protect the rail line from Claremorris to Charlestown for future development to Ireland West Airport and to Sligo. Clearly, Sligo needs to think again.
“We are calling on the Minister for Transport and Iarnród Éireann to bring about a dual solution that allows for the parallel development of a greenway adjacent to the rail line.
“That would satisfy all reasonable people and remains the only sensible way to resolve the Sligo conundrum.”
A statement from West on Track said:
“A report that the railway from Collooney to Bellaghy/Charlestown may be ripped up and replaced by a cycle path beggars belief.
“It is understood that Iarnród Éireann has been forced to change its position on giving up the railway as a result of lobbying by local TDs.
“Irish Rail had offered to assist in every way with providing space for a greenway at a safe distance from the track but this was deemed unacceptable by those whose clear agenda is to prevent there ever being a railway from Sligo to Galway.
“For some time three of our TDs in Sligo have been claiming they would like to see the restoration of the railway from Sligo to Galway.
“But instead of insisting that Sligo should be given parity of esteem with the rest of the region they are now telling us that they have been intensively lobbying the Taoiseach for the railway to be removed and replaced by a greenway.
“Incredibly, this appears to be the summit of their ambition for Sligo. They are completely out of step with all of the other Oireachtas members in the west and north west, who are unanimous in calling for the completion of the rail corridor to Sligo.
“Even as work is about to begin on restoring the next phase of the railway from Galway to Mayo we are being told that what Sligo needs is a greenway.
“We need to be clear that the destruction of the rail corridor is not progress for Sligo or for this region.
“A greenway, while welcome, is a seasonal leisure amenity and is not remotely comparable to the economic benefits that would accrue from a north-south railway connection for Sligo to the regional capital of Galway and to Ireland West international airport.
“They claim that a greenway would protect the route for a future railway but the recent experience of Youghal has shown this to be false.
“They dismiss the idea of a greenway being built within the boundary at a safe distance from the rail track as proposed by Iarnród Éireann and insist the railway must be removed. Most sensible people would say that both should be accommodated.
“The time has come for people in Sligo to call a halt to this nonsense.
“The vast majority of people, including other Oireachtas members, Martin Kenny TD and Senator Nessa Cosgrove, would favour a dual solution to this issue and they certainly want to see the railway restored from Sligo to Galway.
“Our three TDs need to be calling for this instead of wringing their hands and saying it’s not in the plans or not in the All-Island rail review. The reason it isn’t is that they are failing in their responsibility to demand proper infrastructure for Sligo.
“If they are serious in claiming they want to see a railway they need to come out and demand that now rather than hiding behind excuses and supporting the removal of the railway. They should be lobbying for a review of its exclusion from the recent review and that the final leg of the rail corridor be completed to Sligo.
“Everyone knows if the railway is taken up it will never be replaced and the recent debacle in Youghal has proven that.
“A greenway was built at huge expense replacing the rail line and putting in new constrictive structures along the route. It cannot now be removed despite an agreement with Iarnród Éireann who say they will have to build a completely new railway if required.
“Ironically, at the same time, the line to Midleton is being doubled and a state of the art greenway is being built parallel to it but the logical extension to Youghal is now impossible unless a new rail line is built. A major campaign is now under way to try and connect Youghal but it is clearly too late as the damage has been done.
“We cannot afford to repeat this mistake in Sligo,” said the statement.
Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Dara Mulvey said the proposed Greenway represents a significant opportunity for County Sligo and has the potential to deliver lasting recreational, tourism, health and economic benefits for local communities and visitors alike.
“Importantly, the proposed arrangement will ensure that the railway corridor remains in public ownership and protected for any future rail requirements,” he said,