Fresh Push to Reopen Bray–Greystones Cliff Walk

Tánaiste Simon Harris brought senior figures from Wicklow County Council, Irish Rail, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Fáilte Ireland together to speed up action.

A fresh push to reopen the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk is underway after a meeting chaired by Tánaiste Simon Harris. The Wicklow TD chaired a meeting today to speed up the long-awaited reopening calling the walk a 'crucial piece of local tourism, health and economic infrastructure.'

The meeting brought together senior figures from Wicklow County Council, Irish Rail, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Fáilte Ireland.

Here’s what was agreed:

Everyone is backing the new RPS engineering report - All members of the taskforce signed off on its recommendations and committed to acting on them as quickly as possible.

Government funding is on the way - Simon Harris confirmed the State will pay for the expert team needed to turn the RPS report into a full action plan. Wicklow County Council says procurement could start before Christmas and wrap up early in the New Year.

Short-term fixes are a priority - While the long-term plan is being developed, the group agrees immediate measures are needed to get the walk at least partially reopened. Both the council and Irish Rail committed to working on this.

Two-week check-in - Simon Harris will meet the taskforce again in a fortnight for a progress update. He wants the walk fully reopened, or as much of it as possible, by March 2026—a timeline everyone agreed to aim for.

New management structure proposed - Wicklow County Council will consider revamping the Cliff Walk Management Committee next week, turning it into an implementation body that includes community groups like Friends of the Cliff Walk. Harris welcomed this idea and said he’ll support its work.

Funding remains in place - The Government confirmed previously allocated outdoor recreation funds for short-term repairs are still available, and more support can be provided if needed.

Tourism boost planned - Fáilte Ireland will help promote North Wicklow now and work with the council on future tourism funding opportunities in 2026.

Speaking after the meeting, Harris acknowledged the community’s frustration:

“People are understandably fed up with the closure. Today we agreed to push ahead on both short- and medium-term solutions. The community’s involvement is going to be key. I’m confident in the long-term plan, but we also need to keep our foot on the pedal with the short-term fixes.”