Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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630. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount the capital investment plan has allocated to upgrades of urban cycling infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9621/18]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to upgrade the urban cycling infrastructure under the capital investment plan. [9738/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 635 together.

As I very recently informed the Deputy, over €110m in capital funding is directly allocated to develop cycling and walking infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford over the period 2018-2021.  This programme will provide safe alternative active travel routes to help alleviate congestion by providing viable alternatives and connectivity with existing public transport infrastructure. A further €135m capital funding is allocated over this same period for investment in Sustainable Urban Transport projects, and these will include projects that will provide either direct or indirect improvements for urban cycling.  In addition to these cycling-specific investments, the BusConnects programme, which will involve re-configuring the city bus network and infrastructure, will also entail construction of significant new cycling facilities alongside bus routes on the key radial routes into the city centre and provide safe cycling arrangements, largely segregated from other traffic along those corridors. All these substantial investments will allow us to further increase the numbers cycling, thereby easing congestion, improving public health and enhancing the liveability of our cities.

As set out in the Government's recently published National Development Plan, as part of the annual Estimates process, the multi-annual capital allocations will be reviewed and extended annually on a rolling basis to cover the coming 5-year period.  This will provide Government with an annual opportunity to review the allocations in light of any implementation issues arising and/ or new priorities which may emerge as the National Development Plan is implemented.  The NDP also commits to a full mid-term review of the National Development Plan in 2022, to allow Government to take stock of progress in terms of delivery of the planned projects and programmes, and to allow Government to review and reaffirm its investment priorities. The review will be carried out in order to prepare and publish a new updated 10-year plan for public capital investment in 2023, covering the period 2023 to 2032.