Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. It is said by people who engage in and spearhead cycle buses that hopefully one day we will not need them and will have safe routes to school and protected infrastructure such that parents feel confident to let their children cycle to school appropriately. What is important about the safe routes to school programme is that the schools are actively involved in these solutions. It is not just the local authority coming in and proposing something outside of the school space. It is the schools working with parents and the real leaders are the students. They say what they require, be it cycle parking or a walk and stride facility. Our commitment is to roll out that €360 million per year on walking and cycling facilities. This is just the start and it will ramp up. If we get good examples in urban, rural and suburban areas that can be replicated across the country, and if leaders roll out schemes in areas where it was thought not to be possible, that will encourage others to do the same.

See this speech in context