Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken to ensure the cycle to work scheme, introduced in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2008, can be availed of by officials in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6801/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Arrangements are currently being finalised in my Department to ensure that the Cycle to Work Scheme, as introduced in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2008, can be availed of by members of staff in my Department within the coming weeks. The scheme will further enhance the implementation of the Department's Workplace Travel Plan which was launched in October 2008 as part of our participation in the One Small Step campaign being overseen by the Dublin Transportation Office. One of the main aims of the Plan is to reduce reliance on the car as a means of transport to and from work, particularly in the Greater Dublin area, and promote, where possible, the healthier, sustainable options of walking or cycling. As part of the roll-out of the Plan, my Department participated last year in the Ecology Foundation's Cycle to Work scheme, a not-for-profit programme which aims to operate as a one-stop-shop service for employers to facilitate their employees cycling to work. As part of the Department's participation in the Scheme, staff were provided with the opportunity to purchase subsidised bicycles and safety accessories.