Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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625. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline the options available to him to encourage all cyclists to wear helmets when cycling; if his attention has been drawn to concerns on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24492/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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It is longstanding Government policy to recommend and promote the wearing of helmets by cyclists. Both my Department and the Road Safety Authority – which has responsibility for information and awareness campaigns – encourage their use. Opinion is divided internationally on whether the wearing of helmets is best pursued through statutory requirements or through other strategies, for example through publicity and educational campaigns. Making helmets compulsory would raise a number of difficulties. In particular it would be necessary to have an enforcement system, with penalties for cycling without a helmet. The matter was considered during the preparation of the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. Although the Strategy strongly favours encouraging the use of helmets, it did not recommend making their wearing compulsory, and I have no plans at present to make the wearing of bicycle safety helmets a legal requirement. Encouraging the wearing of cycle helmets in Ireland is achieved by promotional, educational and publicity campaigns rather than by a punitive approach to the issue, particularly having regard to the large numbers of children and young people who cycle.