Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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68. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21052/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In line with Healthy Ireland, the national framework for improved health and wellbeing 2013-2025, the Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to promoting increased physical activity among its staff including how they travel to work. This has predominately been achieved through the promotion of the Government’s ‘Cycle to Work’ Scheme, which is a tax incentive scheme to encourage employees to cycle to work. Under the scheme an employer can pay for a new bicycle (including bicycle accessories) and the employee then repays the cost in regular instalments from their gross salary. Since its inception and up to the end of 2020, 442 Department staff had availed of the scheme. This scheme has been further supported by the Department through additional investment in bike racks, lockers and showering facilities.