Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader either to bring the relevant Minister before the House or to have statements on safe routes to school. Active travel was incredibly positively received when it was originally launched. However, it got curtailed along the way, in 2022, when the definition of active travel and safe routes to school meant just the schools but did not take into consideration day services or respite houses that could be along the same pathways. For example, in Portumna we have a lovely development consisting of a respite and day service but it does not come under the safe routes to school programme, which means its footpaths cannot be upgraded, which in turn means that it cannot have a wider footpath, as part of active travel, to bring the people to the Shannon banks where Waterways Ireland has spent €3 million on upgrades all along the canal. It is really unfortunate that minority groups that have an equal need for inclusion within their communities would not be able to access active travel. We need to look at the safer routes to school and active travel programmes within communities to ensure our most vulnerable people, who attend day services or stay in respite or residential housing, are also brought into that piece. Active travel was really well subscribed to and very well funded, but we now need to look at it benefits ensuring day services in Portumna and right around the country.