Muff to Quigley's Point Greenway
The North West Greenway Network (NWGN) is a number of cross-border greenway routes which is being developed by Donegal County Council in the Republic of Ireland and Derry and Strabane District Council in Northern Ireland. In 2015, Derry City & Strabane District Council (DCSDC) & key sustainable transport stakeholders including Donegal County Council (DCC), Transport NI (TNI) and Sustrans NI, formally established the Active & Sustainable Travel Forum (ASTF).
In terms of greenway development, the Forum’s vision is set out in the cross-border North West Greenway Plan:
“To develop a cross border network of greenways that link people with places locally, regionally and nationally – bringing social, economic and environmental well-being to all”
As a first phase of Plan implementation in 2016, the Forum sought funding to:
The North West Greenway Network Project was awarded €14.8 million funding by the European Union through their INTERREG VA funding programme to construct 46.5km of cross-border greenway, towards a total project. Match-funding has also been provided by the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and the Department of Transport.
The Department of Infrastructure is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Infrastructure. Up until May 2016, the department was called the Department for Regional Development. The Department’s overall aim is to ‘improve quality of life by securing transport and water infrastructure and shaping the region's long-term strategic development’ (Northern Ireland budget, 2011-2015). Its main responsibilities include: regional strategic planning and development; transport strategy and sustainable transport; public roads; public transport; air and sea ports and water and sewerage services.
The Depatrtment of Transport is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for transport policy and overseeing transport services and infrastructure. The department is led by the Minister for Transport and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications who is assisted by a Minister of State. The current minister is Mr Eamon Ryan, TD. The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Leeson Lane, Dublin 2 but there are also regional offices in Killarney, County Kerry, and Loughrea, County Galway.
Through the North West Greenway Network, Donegal County Council is a partner with the following organisations:
Derry City and Strabane District Council is a local authority in Northern Ireland that was established on 1 April 2015, merging Derry City Council and Strabane District Council and covers most of the northwest of Northern Ireland. The first elections to the authority were on 22 May 2014 and it acted as a shadow authority, prior to the creation of the Derry and Strabane district on 1 April 2015. It has 40 elected members divided between seven district electoral areas (DEAs): Ballyarnet (6), Derg (5), Faughan (5), Foyleside (5), Sperrin (7), the Moor (5) and Waterside (7). The Chief Executive is John Kelpie.
In Northern Ireland, Sustrans works with schools, workplaces and communities to encourage active travel for everyday journeys. Its cycle training courses provide individuals and organisations with the skills to cycle safely and confidently on the road.
