Roughly €218 million has been spent on greenways by the central government since 2016, Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien has clarified.

He was responding to a parliamentary question on the matter from Fine Gael's Deputy John Clendennen.

In his answer, Minister O’Brien clarified that he has “responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to national and regional greenways”.

“The planning, design and construction of the Greenways programme, is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the relevant local authority concerned,” he said.

The minister then shared a table, outlining “spending only from the Department of Transport on national and regional greenways from 2016 to 2024 (figures are rounded to the nearest million).”

He added: “Funding may also be provided by other government departments/initiatives to help develop greenway infrastructure; however, the Department of Transport provides the majority of investment in this area.”

Capital expenditure on greenways

The totals (rounded to the nearest million) are as follows:

2016: €2 million
2017: €5 million
2018: €3 million
2019: €10 million
2020: €8 million
2021: €28 million
2022: €42 million
2023: €50 million
2024: €70 million
2025: Not available at this time

Disputes

Greenways have been the subject of disputes and protests by farmers in recent months.

According to Independent Ireland TD, Michael Fitzmaurice, there are no farmers opposed to greenways but there is a problem with the way they have "been foisted upon them".

He made the comments at a Leinster House protest by farmers over the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPO) on November 12.

Earlier in the month, leader of Independent Ireland, Michael Collins spoke out against what he described as the “coordinated campaign of coercion, both subtle and explicit, that is actively undermining the financial viability of farmland” when it comes to greenway CPO processes.

“It is an indictment of the massive levels of power imbalances that continue to exist and that are hidden behind consultations which are in reality nothing more than a pretence,” Collins added.