Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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220. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount spent on sustainable transport grants from 1 January to 31 December 2018; the way in which this amount matches against the amount available to his Department in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7435/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As the Deputy may be aware I have secured significant improved funding allocations over the period 2018-2021 which will benefit both cyclists and walkers.

These improved allocations over this period include:

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

- €135 million for sustainable urban transport measures;

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

- €53 million to support the development of new Greenways.

As the Deputy can see from the above, these are all multi-annual capital infrastructure programmes and annual allocations will vary over the lifetime of the individual programmes, while drawdown requirements within a particular year may also vary depending on various issues such as specific progress on individual projects over the course of a particular year.

I can inform the Deputy that figures currently available indicate the total expenditure outturn by my Department on sustainable transport measures that benefit walking and cycling in 2018 were:

- €18.1 million spent specifically on cycling and walking infrastructure in our major urban areas; and

- €19.3 million spent on smarter travel and sustainable transport measures, which will benefit both cyclists and walkers;

- €3.2m to support the development of Greenways.

Of course the Deputy is aware that these programmes do not represent the totality of Exchequer expenditure on cycling and walking, as funding is also available from other programmes, such as the NDP funds.

Funding under the programmes detailed above will increase again in 2019 with approximately €48 million being allocated across both cycling/walking and smarter travel/ sustainable transport, while €13m is allocated toward Greenways. As mentioned above, annual allocations may vary over the lifetime of the individual programmes, while drawdown requirements within a particular year may vary depending on the time of year and specific progress on individual projects.