Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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178. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made in respect of the safe routes to school scheme, the completed and in-progress projects by end-2023; the associated costs of the programme, per county; the anticipated timeframe for the completion of projects at all schools under Round 1 and 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2702/24]

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.

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.

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. The improvements to the school commute could range from an upgraded footpath or new cycle lane to a complete reworking of a school’s entrance. The required investment at each school will be dependent on the changes required in each particular case.

Noting the role of the NTA in the programme, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Ministerial Committee on Road Safety has oversight of delivery of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021 - 2030. The senior official group supporting the Committee is the Road Safety Transformation Partnership Board (RSTPB), comprising officials from the Departments of Transport and Justice and bodies including the Road Safety Authority (RSA), An Garda Síochána, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Transport Authority and the Courts Service.

In 2023, three subgroups were established by the RSTPB to consider matters relating to road safety legislation, funding and data. The Data Enabler Group is chaired by the Road Safety Authority and is currently tasked with working through the issue of data sharing between road safety partners.

The chair of the Data Enabler Group provided a comprehensive update at the November RSTPB meeting on the good progress made to date on the issue of collision data sharing. The RSTPB was informed that data stakeholders are meeting monthly to maintain progress on concluding an agreement, which must be GDPR compliant. It is currently expected that an agreement on sharing of collision data can be concluded later in 2024.