Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in the Dáil debate on Financial Resolution No. 13: General on 7 December 2011:
Turning to North-South co-operation, I am committed to developing such co-operation within the broader arts, heritage and commemorative activities of my Department, as well as through the funding of the North-South bodies that come under the aegis of my Department. Provision of €42.718 million has been made in 2012 to support the two North-South implementation bodies, An Foras Teanga, comprising Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency, and Waterways Ireland. These budgets will be subject to the approval of the North-South Ministerial Council in due course. It is envisaged savings will be achieved through efficiencies and increased focus on front-line services. The Minister of State will speak about An Foras Teanga but for Waterways Ireland the proposed breakdown for the 2012 allocation for this area is a provision of €22.59 million in current funding and capital funding of €4.5 million. This allocation will facilitate the ongoing maintenance and restoration of Ireland’s inland waterways, thereby increasing recreational access along routes and waterways. This expenditure will also assist in attracting increased numbers of overseas visitors and in stimulating business and regeneration in these areas.
I wonder what “commemorative” means in this context.
Irish waterways history 
Ehhhhh…..35 million perhaps…?? Is it possible that they only intend to commerate the Ulster Canal now, rather than rebuild it..?
M
Got it in one … though the €35m figure needs to be treated with caution: it was not, as far as I know, based on actual estimates by engineers. Presumably WI has a more reliable estimate at this stage. bjg