Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a new tranche of funding will be made available for the safer access to schools scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2882/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In March 2021, I launched the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme as a response to the need to improve safety at the ‘front of school’ environment and enhance access to school grounds. 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. 

The Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA). An Taisce’s Green-Schools is coordinating the programme and 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.

All schools were notified of the programme and were invited to apply. 931 applications were received from primary and secondary schools across every county in Ireland, making up around a quarter of all the schools in the country. 167 schools form Round 1 of the Programme with a further 108 schools having been selected for inclusion in Round 2. It should be noted that all schools that applied to the original call for applications were accepted into the programme, and if not selected in the first two rounds will be selected at a later stage without the need to reapply. 

Noting the above, there are no plans at present for an additional call for applications.