Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Transport the degree to which funding has been put in place to meet the requirements of his recently announced proposals to transfer 500,000 motorists to public transport and bicycles with particular reference to specific targets and timescales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5879/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Smarter Travel Policy is a long-term vision that stretches from 2009 to 2020 and is estimated to cost, over its lifetime, €4.5 billion.

The action period of 12 years is very ambitious. The wide-ranging nature of the individual issues and the fact that the change needed will be incremental year-on-year means that it is not possible to assign precise deadlines to each action.

The funding for the policy will be a matter for decisions by the Government in the light of prevailing economic and Budgetary parameters. In the present circumstances, the focus will be on making progress from within existing resources.

Notwithstanding this, intensive work has started on delivering actions in 2009. The National Sustainable Travel Office has been established. The proposed National Cycle Policy framework will be launched shortly. In the near future I will also be announcing a sustainable travel demonstration fund to support innovative projects in this area. This year up to 150,000 school children will be reached through the Green Schools Travel initiative. In all, I will be increasing the funding for sustainable travel projects from €3 million in 2008 to €14 million in 2009. This is in addition to other investments under Transport 21 in 2009. These infrastructural improvements will support sustainable travel targets.