Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

The Minister of State, Deputy Alan Kelly, and I have had detailed discussions with the sustainable transport section in the Department. Subject to confirmation of the delegation order, most of these matters will fall into the brief of the Minister of State. He or I will meet representatives of the Dublin Cycling Campaign.

I have had a good look at the national cycle policy framework. It is a good framework, but what is missing is an implementation plan and budget. We must look at it closely, see which parts can be implemented and how much it will cost to do so. Like everything, it will be subject to cost constraints. There is still some money available in the sustainable transport budget. This is an area in which much can be delivered for a relatively small amount of money. I am encouraged to see that the number cycling into Dublin is increasing all the time, while the number of cars is going down. We must continue to encourage and support this trend.

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