Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has welcomed the announcement of €642,424 for two Waterford projects under the latest round of the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS). The welcome announcement was made by Senator Cummins’ Fine Gael colleague Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys and comes hot on the heels of a €5 million allocation to Cappoquin under the Rural Regeneration & Development fund.
The Waterford projects that have been successful under the scheme are:
Phase 1 Cappoquin Railway Bridge Loop - €500,000
Phase 3 Anne Valley Walk - €142,424
Senator Cummins said “I’m delighted to have worked closely with Waterford City & County Council, the Anne Valley Walk committee and the Cappoquin Regeneration Committee to put forward a very strong case to the Department of Rural and Community Development in support of these excellent projects. I want to thank Minister Humphreys for once again showing her commitment to rural Waterford. I had the opportunity to talk Minister Humphreys through the Cappoquin project on her recent visit to the town and I would have emphasised the importance of the Anne Valley Walk funding to the Tánaiste on his recent visit to the Eco Park in Dunhill. While some people question the value of Ministerial visits, I hope this demonstrates how important they can be”.
He added “Phase I of the Cappoquin Railway Bridge Loop Walk between Millwheel Park and Cappoquin Rowing Club Grounds is seen as a strategic collaborative project which has the potential to have positive benefits for the entire community. The ultimate goal of this and subsequent phases will be the development of a 1km looped walking route which will include the iconic Cappoquin Railway Viaduct and the Old Red Bridge.
“The development of Phase 3 of the award winning Anne Valley Walk will see a 940 metre section of the walk in the townlands of Kilcannon and Ballynagorkagh, south of Dunhill Castle being raised by an average of 850mm to prevent flooding, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. The proposed works will ensure that the Anne Valley Walk maintains its reputation as a high quality, fully accessible Walk Waterford recreational trail”
Senator Cummins concluded by thanking all of the stakeholders for their tireless work “I want to thank both the Cappoquin Regeneration Committee and the Anne Valley Walk Committee for their hard work and dedication to both projects in collaboration with Johnny Brunnock, the council’s trails officer. By working together to develop shovel ready plans of merit, it strengthens my hand when making the case for funding”.
Speaking at the announcement of the funding Minister Heather Humphreys said “Today’s funding announcement will benefit people of all ages for generations to come. This unprecedented investment is part of our commitment under ‘Our Rural Future’ and it will help to further our ambition to support our rural economies and make rural Ireland a destination of choice for adventure tourism. Through this fund, we are developing and enhancing the fantastic natural amenities in our rural communities so more and more people can access and enjoy them.”