Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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70. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to ensure the development of safe cycling routes to rural schools and the provision of cycling parking facilities within schools in rural areas. [35796/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Deputy can be assured that I am very much committed to increasing the number of children who use active travel modes when travelling to and from school.

There are a number of existing supports already available, such as An Taisce’s Green Schools Travel programme which promotes sustainable travel and includes the provision of cycle parking, and the Cycle Right training programme which provides practical cycle safety and skills training to support more competent and confident cycling. Both Programmes are funded through my Department’s sustainable mobility investment programme.

Complementing those existing supports, this year’s July Stimulus fund more rapid roll-out of active travel infrastructure across the country and I know that a number of local authorities have sought to develop new infrastructure which supports active travel to/from schools in their areas.

In line with the commitment given in the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, Minister of State Naughton and I are very keen to bring these various strands of supports together and develop an overarching Safe Routes to School Programme. I know that Minister of State Naughton met with the National Transport Authority recently in this regard and I look forward to working with stakeholders in the months ahead as we develop and roll-out the programme.