Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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130. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to improve the standard of urban cycle lanes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14518/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Deputy may acknowledge that the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging set of commitments in relation to active travel, supported by an increased multi-annual budgetary allocation amounting to some €1.8 billion over the planned lifetime of the Government.

I believe he is right to highlight the need to improve the standard of our urban cycle lanes and there is a need to ensure that the type of investment planned in the coming years delivers high-quality, safe and segregated infrastructure that will attract more and more people to make the switch from the private car and toward a more sustainable, healthy mode of transport, such as cycling.

I think there are three critically important aspects to our collective plans in this area:

- A revision of the National Cycle Manual;

- Improved and expanded training of relevant stakeholders in relation to cycle design; and

- Adequate resourcing of local authorities.

I am pleased to say there is work underway or planned in relation to all three aspects.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is undertaking a review the National Cycle Manual, with a revised Manual expected to be available later the year. Development of the revised Manual will be accompanied by an extensive training programme to ensure its revised and improved standards are understood and disseminated widely across the sector.

In relation to resourcing, the NTA is working with local authorities on the resources required to deliver upon the Government’s ambition in the area of active travel. I am committed to working with local authorities in relation to securing those resources and I wrote to the County and City Management Association (CCMA) indicting my support and committing to funding those proposals.