Ms Helen Kerrane:

The Cycling Ireland strategic plan 2020-2024 has four main points regarding advocacy, one of which is to develop memorandums of understanding with organisations such as cyclist.ie. I understand that previous boards have attempted to do this but we would like to see the furtherance of that. There are many different groups and we do not want to end up with duplication of what is out there.I am concerned to canvass their opinion. We have member surveys. Any members of the committee who are also members of Cycling Ireland will have had an email drop into their inbox last week with a membership survey and I ask them to fill it in.

The Deputy asked about cycling safety standards and the RSA. We have worked with the RSA. It is in the strategic plan to do so.

As regards the question on safety and An Garda Síochána, that is as much a matter for An Garda Síochána it is for Cycling Ireland. I cannot answer on behalf of An Garda Síochána as to why there is a disparity in how different events across the country are treated. We would like to work with it on that. In Northern Ireland, Cycling Ulster and Cycling Ireland discuss these matters with the PSNI and have developed an accredited marshal training platform so that accredited marshals can be allowed to stop traffic there. It is a structured training plan. It is not just about a person stepping out with a red flag.We could consider having a formal discussion in the South of Ireland with An Garda Síochána, national governing bodies, Deputies and other legislators as to whether that could be attained here. This is for the safety of everybody, not just of cyclists. I agree that safety is the number one issue that comes up when members ask about what is happening. That is true whether the member is a parent, as I am, with a daughter who cycles, or a normal commuter, as I am. I cycled here today. It is multi-factoral. We can do better and we will seek to do this in the future. It is in our strategic plan that we will consult with organisations and bodies. I cannot speak for the previous board but I can do so for the current one.

As regards the Deputy's final point, regarding who are the representatives of the members of Cycling Ireland, Dr. Daly and I, along with many other people, have not lost our links to cyclists. There are several of us on the current board who have been involved as commissaires or racing organisers or come from a racing background. I have raced and I am commuter and a parent. I trained my kid how to ride. I do long-distance cycling and have done track cycling. You name it, I have done it. We are here for Cycling Ireland. We may have been nominated by various organisations and structures to the new board. I was nominated by Cycling Leinster, for example. We are here for cycling as a sport and a utility, however, and we are here for its future. We are the ordinary members. I have been to many AGMs and look forward to attending more of them in future.