Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 513: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will quantify the expressions of interest received from the private sector regarding investment in a public bike scheme for Galway city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39529/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Recognising the success of the Dublinbikes scheme, the Programme for Government commits my Department to look to extend the scheme to other cities. The National Transport Authority has, at my request, had an assessment of the potential for similar bikes schemes in the regional cities carried out which included initial analysis on 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.

I am committed to exploring a range of mechanisms to seek to secure public bike schemes in other cities. To that end I 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 could avail of to discuss engagement with the scheme publicly or in commercial confidence. Work is ongoing in that regard and expressions of interest in potential funding arrangements for a scheme or elements of a scheme are welcome on a city by city basis or more broadly on a national basis.

The NTA will further assess the potential for delivery of bikes schemes in the regional cities in the light of all additional information and consideration will then be given to whether procurement of any further public bike scheme or schemes should take place on a national or individual city basis.