Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans, in conjunction with bike schemes similar to that in Dublin, to make cycling in urban centres safer and more viable for everyone. [33434/11]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to aid the development of strategies for local authorities to put in place and achieve resourcing for bike schemes similar to that operated in Dublin. [33430/11]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that the expansion of the bike scheme in Dublin to other urban centres will be based on a joined-up national system. [33436/11]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 36 and 46 together.

Recognising the success of the Dublinbikes scheme, the Programme for Government commits my Department to seek to extend the scheme to other cities and integrate the scheme more effectively with public transport links. The National Transport Authority has, at my request, had an initial analysis of the potential for similar bikes schemes in the regional cities carried out. My Department and the NTA are currently considering the findings of that analysis including how to address key issues identified such as the changed commercial environment to that pertaining when the Dublinbikes scheme was negotiated and different characteristics of scheme provision in smaller cities. What is clear is that the way the scheme is funded in Dublin cannot be easily replicated in other cities so we do need to think outside the box a little bit.

I am committed to exploring a range of mechanisms to seek to secure public bike schemes in other cities and to that end I have arranged symposiums in Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway with the National Transport Authority and the City Councils to inform and involve key business and civic stakeholders, to consider the various issues involved and to provide a defined channel via my office or the National Transport Authority, which any interested parties can avail of to discuss engagement with the scheme publicly or in commercial confidence. The symposiums are taking place this week and next and any decisions regarding whether procurement of any further public bike scheme or schemes should take place on a national or individual city basis will need to await the outcome of those consultations.

Many more cyclists have taken to the streets and are learning the benefits and experiencing the safety of cycling following the introduction by Dublin City Council of the Dublinbikes Scheme. It has been hailed internationally as a great success and we will continue to examine ways it can be rolled out to other cities.