Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I love the rhetoric. I would love to be a climate justice champion. It would be a great ambition. Ultimately, the exigencies of the Exchequer make it very difficult to do everything we would like to do in such a short period. I acknowledge that the Deputy has mentioned cycling and other modes of transport. Significant funds are awarded to the NTA and the GDA annually for the delivery of cycling and walking infrastructure in co-operation with the relevant local authorities. Under the sustainable transport measures grant, STMG, programme, my Department provides funding for the NTA for the seven local authorities and the GDA for the implementation of sustainable transport measures which include cycling and walking infrastructure, in addition to quality bus corridors, safety, integration and traffic management projects throughout the region. Funding of €23.2 million was allocated for the programme in 2016 alone. The NTA also manages a similar sustainable transport grants programme, the regional cities programme, in the four regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Overall funding for the two programmes in 2016 was €36.7 million. We have made a commitment which is indicated in the programmes. The strategy is ambitious, but it cannot be fulfilled to the extent of meeting the 2020 targets. We are still absolutely determined to make a really serious and significant contribution.

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