OVER €8 MILLION in funding has been announced for the development and maintenance of outdoor amenities such as trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways. 

The Department of Rural and Community Development public details of projects to be funded under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme today. 

A total of €8.4 million has been allocated to 44 projects. The investment has been approved by Minister Michael Ring. 

The projects approved for funding include:

• Spike Island Coastal Walking route – Co Cork
• Mid-Shannon Wilderness Park – Co Longford
• River Suir Blueway infrastructure – Co Tipperary
• Phase One of the Foxford to Pontoon Greenway – Co Mayo
• Sustainable Access and Habitat Restoration on Errigal Mountain – Co Donegal
• Rossmore Forest Park Family Cycle Route – Co Monaghan

The investment is a collaborative initiative between the Department of Rural and Community Development and Fáilte Ireland, with the Department providing €4.4 million of the total, complemented by €4 million from Fáilte Ireland.

The funding will benefit 35 medium-sized projects with funding of up to €200,000 each, and nine larger projects with funding of up to €500,000 each. 

This investment is in addition to €1.8 million approved for 109 smaller projects last November.

In 2018, 2.6 million overseas tourists to Ireland engaged in hiking or cross-country walking, spending an estimated €1.4 billion during their stay here. A further 504,000 tourists took part in cycling activities.