Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter for the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and will set out his ambition for cycling as a sustainable travel mode throughout the country.

As Senator Ross knows, it is regrettable that reliance on cycling has diminished considerably over a number of years. He mentioned that a unit in the Department is working on a sustainable transport and travel action plan which is due to be published before the end of the year. Census returns demonstrate a significant decline in cycling. On a national basis, in 1986 more than 7% of commuting trips were made by bicycle. This figure declined to 5.7% in the early 1990s, to 4.2% in 1996, to 2.3% in 2001 and to 2% in 2006. The reasons for this decline in commuter trips by bicycle are manifold. Perhaps it is partly due to the fact people live further from their places of work.

Reliance on the bicycle in Dublin has also declined but perhaps not to the same degree as nationally. There is some evidence of a resurgence in cycling in the capital but its modal share remains very low despite the fact there are 300 km of cycle facilities in the greater Dublin area. I believe Senator Ross said 200 km. In recent years, even with the additional cycle facilities, the share of commuter trips has gone down. Obviously, more than cycle facilities are needed.

The Dublin Transportation Office has been beavering away and it spent more than €300,000 on the provision of public cycle parking stands. It also approved further projects in Dublin city in late 2007, including cycle parking in more than 21 schools, a further 150 cycle parking stands in key city centre locations and cycle lanes in Gardiner Street and Parnell Street.

The Department commissioned research into a potential national cycling policy. The outputs of this research hold out the prospect of a culture of cycling in Ireland by 2020, with 10% of all trips by bicycle. It is one thing to have that as a policy but it is another to make it happen. Increasing the modal share enjoyed by the bicycle to 10% would be a huge shift and would move as many people on to bikes as the public transport element of Transport 21 could accommodate. To do that, we plan to spend at least €16 billion. The potential of success with the bicycle is enormous if it can be achieved.

Much action is required, including training school children in safe cycling. A start has been made in that through widening our support for the green schools travel module which, next year, will reach more than 100,000 children; providing safe cycle routes to schools, colleges and workplaces; re-prioritising existing roadspace in favour of cyclists and walkers and designing new roadspace with cyclists' needs in mind; and ensuring that those involved in traffic planning and management are supported in becoming fully skilled in prioritising both cyclist and pedestrians as the preferred modes of travel in Dublin.

As I said, it is the intention to publish the Department's action plan, which is its vision for cycling, by the end of the year. As Senator Ross said, it is significant that support, through the taxation system, for the provision of bicycles and safety equipment for employees was mentioned in yesterday's budget as well as a charge for carpark places. It was good to hear Senator Ross raise the matter. Yesterday when those items were mentioned in the Dáil, there was general laughter.