Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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170. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to an application by a school (details supplied) under the safe routes to school programme; if further funding will be committed to this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63578/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In March 2021, I launched the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme which will support Active Travel infrastructure for selected schools around the country. The programme aims to support walking, scooting and cycling to primary and post-primary schools and to create safer walking and cycling routes within communities. This will help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school by providing the necessary infrastructure. 

931 applications were received from schools across every county in Ireland. 170 schools were notified on 21st June 2021 that they were selected for inclusion in the first round of the SRTS Programme with a further 108 schools recently selected for Round 2. . The Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and is supported by the Department of Education. An Taisce’s Green-Schools is coordinating the programme, while funding will be made available to local authorities who will play a key part in delivering the infrastructure along access routes and at the school gate.

I am aware that the school referred to in the Deputy's question has submitted an application under the Safe Routes to School Programme but was not selected for inclusion in either Round 1 or Round 2 of the programme. Given the nature of the programme, all 931 schools who applied will enter the programme on a rolling basis and there will be no requirement for those schools to reapply. Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question in relation to the status of this specific application to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days please contact my private office.