Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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123. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the progress of the pilot Bike and E-Bike Upcycling Initiative; if she is considering extending the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53856/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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On 28 April 2021, my department, in collaboration with the Department of Transport, announced the introduction of a three-year pilot initiative to develop a scheme for the provision of high quality up-cycled bicycles and e-bikes as an alternative to the Cycle to Work Scheme model, for those on low incomes and/or those who are most marginalised and disadvantaged.

A call for applications was launched in May 2021, with funding of €1 million per annum (€3m in total) being provided by the Department of Transport for this initiative, with the funding being made available through my department's Community Services Programme.

Organisations eligible to apply under the pilot were those currently supported under CSP or alternatively in a Partnership/Consortium of which at least one member was a CSP supported organisation.

Out of the fourteen applications received under the pilot initiative, five applications met the qualifying threshold under the eligibility and award criteria. The five applicants approved for support under this pilot initiative are:

- The Rediscovery Centre & Rothar Velo in Dublin 9.

- Frontline Bikes/ Frontline Make Change in Dublin 8.

- Treo Port Lairge CLG (aka Renew Enterprises) in Waterford.

- The Life Cycle Consortium in Galway – Westside Resource Centre and An Mheitheal Rothar.

- Sign & Cycle in Cork – Cork Community Cycles & Deaf Enterprises

Four of the applicants are in contract since 22nd July 2021 with the final contract commencing on 1st October 2022. Both departments have recently approved some budgetary amendments with funding of €675,318 issued to the applicants up to end September.

Should additional funding be made available for this purpose by the Department of Transport, consideration will be given to extending this initiative. However, any further iteration or extension of the scheme will be dependent on an interim evaluation of the five approved projects in 2023.