Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the development of an enhanced cycling infrastructure in terms of the creation of a national cycling office; and if there are no plans for the creation of a national cycling office, the reason therefor. [46781/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I refer the Deputy to my previous reply to Parliamentary Question Number 472 dated 26 June 2018 on this matter. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public and sustainable transport. As the Deputy may be aware that over the period 2018 to 2021 I have secured significantly improved funding allocations which will benefit both cycling and walking.

These improved allocations over the 2018 to 2021 period include:

- €110 million specifically dedicated to cycling and walking infrastructure in our major urban areas;

- €135 million for sustainable urban transport measures; and

- €750 million towards the BusConnects programme in Dublin which will include delivery of around 200 kilometres of segregated cycling lanes where possible.

We also have €53 million to support the development of new Greenways in more rural areas, in line with the recently published Greenways Strategy.

As can be seen from the above, these are multi-annual capital expenditure programmes which will positively assist with the better development and provision of cycling and walking infrastructure across the State.

In addition to these infrastructure measures, my Department also provides funding to the NTA in relation to behavioural change programmes and to Cycling Ireland to develop a new national cycle training standard - "Cycle Right" – which was rolled out in January 2017 and expected to train approximately 20,000 primary school students this year.

In the context of the work underway reviewing Public Transport Policy as committed to in the Programme for Government, my Department is considering the effectiveness of institutional arrangements in this area into the future, including those that apply to cycling, and having regard to the importance of ensuring strong outcomes with the budgetary increases that have been secured for the provision of enhanced cycling infrastructure and through training programmes.