Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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70. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport whether he is aware of an uneven allocation in funding for active travel in 2024 in Cork city. [13240/24]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister update the House as to whether he is aware of the uneven allocation of funding for active travel in 2024 in Cork city? For the fourth year on the trot, active travel funding is skewed between the northside and the southside and, once again, the northside of Cork city loses out.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I had thought the question referred to an uneven allocation from year to year and I did not realise it was specifically about the northside versus the southside of Cork. I will come to the details of that in my supplementary reply and I will first give the original written response.

I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to active travel, which is administered through the National Transport Authority. In partnership with local authorities, the NTA has responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area. Walking and cycling projects are funded across the Cork City Council area through allocations from the NTA's active travel infrastructure programme. As with all local authorities, funding allocation is based on demand, user need and project phase. Typically, projects at an early stage in development, such as concept development, will have a lower allocation need than projects which are at or approaching construction phase.

The active travel programme has seen a significant increase in investment in recent years, in line with the programme for Government commitment to spend €360 million per annum on walking and cycling over its lifetime. The years 2022 and 2023 saw full allocation spend by local authorities, with €310 million and €340 million invested in active travel, respectively. This was only made possible through the increase in the capacity of local authorities through the provision of funding for dedicated active travel staffing by my Department.

A consequence of the success of the programme is that there is a huge pipeline of projects to be funded, including a significant number reaching the aforementioned high-cost construction stage. The programme is moving into a project prioritisation stage, whereby funding will be allocated to projects which should see the greatest impact in terms of modal shift away from private car use. The process of identifying such projects is undertaken by the NTA in collaboration with the relevant local authority.

Cork City Council has received funding allocation of over €140 million since 2021, including just over €29 million this year. I look forward to the completion of more projects around the city, following on from recently completed projects such as, on the northside, MacCurtain Street, as well as the Vernon Mount Bridge and the Grange to Tramore Valley Park active travel scheme.

I might come back to the Deputy on the specific north-south issue.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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This is the fourth year that I have raised with the Minister the uneven allocation of funding between the northside and southside. People may think it is still funding being spent in Cork but if people come from the constituency that I represent, they can see the disparity in the funding.

This is a serious issue that goes to the heart of the neglect of the northside by this Government. All we are looking for is an even distribution of funding. I will give an example. For this year, €16 million has been provided for projects on the southside at an average cost of €500,000 while €8 million - 50% of the southside's allocation - has been provided for projects on the northside at an average cost of €370,000. We are getting fewer projects, less money and less active travel from this Government. I am asking the Minister for fairness.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will give the Deputy a chance to contribute again. I am keeping Members to time so that we can get to more questions.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I assure the Deputy that there is no intention whatsoever to disadvantage the northside of Cork city versus the southside. If there are particular projects on the southside or elsewhere that are being advanced faster, that is a matter for Cork City Council in conjunction with the NTA. There is no Government strategy to try to disadvantage one versus the other.

I will make a general point. This is an issue for Cork City Council. Decisions around which projects are advanced and, therefore, which will get money are matters for the lowest political level, that is, the local council. We cannot manage the active travel programme or street decisions from central government. We need to empower local government. If there is a case for a stronger allocation for the northside of Cork city, it is for the councillors in those council wards to push the council and ensure they get political support for the actions we need to take. That is where the decisions that will accelerate the provision of projects on the northside will be made.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister. I call Deputy Gould.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I would love nothing more than to see the northside of Cork get a larger, fairer share, but it comes down to the council.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are over time, Minister.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Does the Minister not accept that receiving half the same funding for four years on the trot is not fair on the constituents I represent? I have spoken directly with the NTA where I have raised this issue repeatedly. I have also raised it with Cork City Council, and I understand it is the council’s job to bring these projects forward, but the people I represent do not see any fairness and do not believe they are being treated as equals. On John F. Connolly Road and Kilmore Road in Churchfield and Knocknaheeny, respectively, there are bollards that someone would not see in a war-torn area. They have been left there for over 25 years. I was told last year that they would be dealt with under the active travel programme, and I have been told the same this year. We need those bollards removed and footpaths to be reinstated with lights. The children who go to the Golden Gloves Boxing Club, Castleview soccer club, Temple United and St. Vincent’s have-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. The Minister to respond.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----to walk on roads that trucks drive on. That is not good enough.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am going to ask Members for their co-operation.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I agree with the Deputy. We need greater investment in Cork – southside as well as northside – in terms of improved footpaths and an improved environment to make it safe for our children to walk or cycle to their local football clubs, boxing clubs or whatever it may be. Historically, there has been an underinvestment, although that has not been the case under this Government. Something like €140 million over the past four years is not an insignificant amount. Last year, we spent €35 million in Cork city. Nothing like that has ever been done before, but there is a legacy of underinvestment, so we need to scale that allocation up on the northside as well as on the southside. Many of the projects that have been in the design concept stage will now come for decision on their construction phases.

I will give Cork a message. The problem with Cork is that it tends to gold-plate things a certain amount and can have expensive projects. We need to build things fast and at a lower cost than is currently the case so that we can get a greater number of areas covered.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I hear from officials that Cork tends to be a bit slower and more expensive. We need to spend the money wisely, widely and well.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We will try to use the time wisely and stay within the limits.