Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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209. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount that will be allocated to walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24286/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government committed to an investment of €360 million per annum in walking and cycling over the lifetime of the Government. This investment will benefit society in both urban and rural areas by encouraging modal shift away from the private car thus improving fitness and health and reducing transport emissions.

The exchequer capital funding available for Greenways and Active Travel from my Department in 2022 is €360 million comprised of circa €60 million for Greenways managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and €290 million for Active Travel measures managed by the National Transport Authority with the remaining funds delivered directly by my Department or through other agencies.

The funding allocation for 2023 will be decided as part of the annual Estimates process. I expect the amount that will be made available will reflect the commitment in the Programme for Government.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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210. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding allocated in 2021 and to date in 2022 to each of the local authorities in the greater Dublin area and the regional cities under the sustainable transport measures grants; the amounts actually expended and reclaimed by each; the amounts provided in each local authority for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24287/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government committed to an investment of €360 million per annum in walking and cycling over the lifetime of the Government. The years 2021 and 2022 have seen a significant increase in my Department's funding for cycling and walking, in line with the Government’s prioritisation of Active Travel and Greenways. I was delighted to announce funding totalling €289m through the National Transport Authority (NTA) earlier this year for approximately 1,200 Active Travel projects. This is in addition to the approx. €60m funding that was allocated to Greenways in 2022.

Details of the Active Travel funding allocated in 2021 and 2022 to each of the local authorities in the Greater Dublin area and in the regional cities are set out in the tables below.

As Minister, I have responsibility for the policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. The National Transport Authority (NTA), meanwhile, has responsibility for the allocation of funding to specific projects and oversight of their development, in cooperation with the relevant local authorities.

Noting their responsibility in this area, I have forwarded your question to the NTA for reply in relation to the amounts expended and reclaimed by each local authority. It should be noted that an over-allocation has been made to each local authority in the expectation that not all projects will progress as hoped in 2022, this is based on experience of previous years.

Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.