Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I wish to raise three issues, the first of which is cycling.While I would like to talk at length, given the time constraints I will move quickly to questions on the area. We know that cycling is an efficient, cheap, healthy and environmentally-friendly mode of transport. It moves across all areas of the Minister's brief covering sport, transport and tourism. Cycling has not only been important for tourism, it is also beneficial for the life of our towns and cities. It is also important in the context of commuting.

In that context, I raised the following issue on the previous occasion the Minister was in the House but he did not have the opportunity to reply. I hope he will have that opportunity this time. What are his intentions regarding the implementation of the national cycling framework? Does he intend to appoint a national cycling officer? How does he propose to achieve the target of having 10% of all journeys in urban and rural settings being made on bicycles. The current figure in that regard is 2%? Will the National Transport Authority set a spending target in respect of cycling infrastructure? At present, cycling is allocated just 0.5% of the overall transport budget. If we are trying to get to 10% of journeys being made on bicycles, will we move from that 0.5% closer to 10% of expenditure going on this area?

I raise the question of infrastructure not just because I believe that achieving our cycling targets is crucial to the sustainability of our future and beneficial as a whole, but also because infrastructure is crucial for safety. Last week, a cyclist tragically died in County Kildare. There were 12 deaths in 2016. We know that the fear this engenders has an impact. For example, Ireland has an imbalance in participation in cycling where three quarters of those cycling are men. Boys are ten times more likely than girls to be cycling. In countries with investment in infrastructure, there is far more inclusion. There is a gender balance in participation in cycling in countries such as Poland and Holland. There is also far more participation by younger people and older people in cycling. Those issues need to be addressed and I would appreciate clear answers on them.

I ask the Minister to give an update on the review of US immigration pre-clearance at Dublin and Shannon Airports to ensure compatibility with Irish, EU and UN law. It is important that we ensure that all those laws are being fully abided by on Irish soil.

The Minister has answered parliamentary questions on Shannon Airport, most recently on 17 January. I commend him because I believe he gave a far more detailed response than the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has given. I know there is a division of responsibility between the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in terms of military and civilian aircraft. However, there is an overlap and we have seen many cases of military operations involving civilian aircraft. The Minister noted that over 22,700 troops came through Shannon Airport in a six-month period last year and that 462 civilian aircraft requested permission to land while carrying munitions, of which 411 were granted with a number refused on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and some at the discretion of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Does the Minister intend to engage with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of the military use of Shannon Airport and military use of civilian aircraft at the facility, particularly in light of the comments on torture made by the new US Administration and the potential appointment of Steve Bannon to the US National Security Council? When will move from an information-request mode to an inspection mode? Does the Minister envisage that in the foreseeable future? What are his plans for the next two to three months in respect of this matter? This should be on the agenda before the Taoiseach's visit to Washington in March.

My final point in respect of buses-----