Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Transport the budget in 2005 for the safe routes to school programme; the number of schools that are involved; his plans to extend the programme; and the way in which he intends to proceed in that regard. [21097/05]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my response to parliamentary question reference number 20787/05.

The Dublin Transportation Office initiated six safer routes to school projects during 2002-03. These were in Griffith Avenue, involving four separate schools: Donabate, two schools; Malahide, one school; Bray, one school; Lucan, one school; and Shankill, one school. Subsequently, the schools in Lucan and Shankill decided not to continue participating in the initiative.

This pilot programme was designed to show what needs to be done to achieve a better balance in the modes used to travel to school. The pilot programme consisted of: implementing a set of infrastructure improvements in the road environment surrounding each school; and organisational and consultation activities intended to show school management and parent committees how to manage the mobility needs of the children attending the school.

The total cost of the programme was €1.66 million, predominantly for the infrastructure changes, for example, pedestrian crossings, cyclepaths, cycle parking facilities within school grounds, bus lay-bys etc. No moneys have been expended on projects during 2005. The DTO contributed considerable in-house resources to managing the initiative through extensive liaison with stakeholders, and through the preparation of documentation, surveys etc.

The table set out below shows the breakdown of moneys allocated to each school project, and also the outcome in terms of changes to behaviour and mode choices made by pupils and their parents. The table shows that the results of the pilot programme are encouraging. The main finding of the pilot project was that a school requires a well-developed and interested parent-school team to bring the initiative to fruition. Simply providing infrastructure without the managerial effort of parents, pupils and school managers is likely to fail.

The DTO is currently examining the potential of widening the scope of the initiative by arranging for the inclusion of a school travel theme within the existing green schools programme. The green schools programme is run by An Taisce and is already present in over half the schools across the country, with the rate of subscription growing. The programme has the potential to assist working groups, involving parents, pupils and staff, to develop a school travel plan to increase the numbers of pupils walking, cycling or taking the bus to school and to reduce the number of cars coming to the school.

I have asked the DTO to advise me as to how it might advance this initiative with a view to getting implementation in a wider range of schools throughout the country.