Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending and taking questions on such a wide range of issues. I will focus on a few areas, one of which is active travel. The Government has made a significant commitment on this issue and there was a launch earlier this week. The bike-to-work scheme excludes large numbers of people. Should it be expanded? Should we have a central plan for our cycle network? We can look at a roads map or a rail infrastructure map but we cannot look at a map or plan for our cycling network. That is a difficulty when these projects are being delivered locally. There is sometimes significant resistance to projects and arguments that we are building cycle paths to nowhere. For example, I can look at the Project Ireland 2040 plan and every project that TII is delivering. I can see at what stage of development it is, for example, if it is at design stage, and a number of key indicators in relation to that. I think we should have the same for our cycle network. We should also have champions. I know there are various programmes, but there is not enough there yet in terms of local champions and leadership in relation to it. Those are the points I wish to raise on delivering active travel. I agree there is ambition there from Government. However, while the Climate Advisory Council also agreed there is ambition, it asserted that there is a deficit in implementation.

The other issue I wish to raise is accessibility and affordability of public transport, whether in school transport in our urban centres or in our rural communities and villages. There is a significant opportunity to enhance that. Again, the Government has plans but I am raising the delivery of those plans. Like other members who have spoken, I can give the Minister multiple examples of people in new communities in my constituency who have told me they were thankful their son or daughter had passed the driving test and is ready to go on the road because there is no public transport to the train station and the price of the train ticket is extortionate, particularly in areas outside the greater Dublin area. While there is positive policy intent, we are a long way off in terms of practical delivery. How does the Minister intend to address the accessibility and affordability of public transport, principally public bus transport?