Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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308. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding options available to community groups and local authorities that wish to develop cycle paths in their areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12652/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I can advise the Deputy that funding for cycling is provided under a number of different programmes by my Department, of which the two principal ones are now the Smarter Travel/Sustainable Urban Transport programme and the Cycling & Walking programme.

I am also pleased to advise the Deputy that I have secured a significant improvement in 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.

The allocation of funding in respect of individual projects is managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.

In addition to the above, Government has also made additional money available for cycling projects through both the Urban and Rural Regeneration and Development Funds under the National Development Plan and I understand that applications for those Funds are facilitated by the relevant Departments (D/Housing, Planning and Local Government and the D/Rural and Community Development).