Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Boyle for raising this important matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I understand that safety at this location is of concern to the Senator and those he represents, particularly the children, parents and teaching staff of the school. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, in line with the national development plan, planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authority concerned. The priority in the NDP is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing road network. In the context of the national roads programme capital budget, which is provided by the Department to TII, significant funding has been provided towards safeguarding the national road network.

In 2025, approximately €15.6 million in capital Exchequer funding was allocated for protection of the existing national road network in Donegal. This included allocations for minor road improvements on the N56. TII's road safety section discussed the progression of potential safety improvements on the N56 at Dunkineely National School with Donegal County Council in a meeting held in March of this year. Donegal County Council has developed an assessment of potential options at this location. This work has contributed to a feasibility report setting out safety measures that Donegal County Council proposes to implement, the estimated scheme costs and the expected safety benefits. This report is being considered by TII and approval to commence the design stage has been given to Donegal County Council. Works at this location will be considered for progression in 2026, subject to funding availability. There has been progress.I hope that sheds some light for the parents, teachers and children of the school.

With regard to the safe routes to school programme, invitations to make expressions of interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country. A total of 932 schools applied for the safe routes to school programme. This equates to around a quarter of all schools in the country. A total of 170 schools were selected for round 1 of the programme in summer 2021. Round 2 of the safe routes to school programme, consisting of 108 schools, was announced on 12 December 2022. Round 3, which was launched in November 2024, saw a further 141 schools enter the programme.

The nature of the safe routes to school programme is that all schools who initially applied will eventually enter the programme on a rolling basis and there will be no need to reapply. I understand that Dunkineely National School did not apply to the programme. It should be noted, however, that because a school is not currently in the safe routes to school programme, it does not mean that it will not receive any new or improved active travel infrastructure.

While there are no plans for an additional call for schools to join the programme currently, funding for active travel infrastructure for schools is not confined to the safe routes to schools programme alone. In some cases, schools outside the safe routes to school programme are included in wider active travel projects if they are in the vicinity of these works. In fact, all active travel funding looks to improve links to schools, where possible, and this will be provided through the programme for Government commitment that €360 million in cross-government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government.