Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport her engagement to date with the National Transport Authority to expand on the safe routes to school programme to increase the number of schools to be included for mid Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29726/24]

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.

The Safe Routes to School 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 co-ordinating the programme, while funding will be made available to local authorities which will play a key part in delivering the infrastructure along access routes and at the school gate.

Invitations to express interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country, and 931 applications were received from schools across every county in Ireland. 275 schools are currently actively engaged with the Programme or have had projects completed through Rounds 1 and 2, and Round 3 is due to be announced later this year. It should be noted that all schools that applied to the original call for applications were accepted into the programme and will enter it on a rolling basis if not already selected for the early Rounds.

Given the pipeline of projects due for completion, there are no plans for an additional call for schools to join the SRTS programme currently. I have therefore not engaged with the NTA in relation to expanding the Programme to include additional schools in mid-Cork. It should be noted, however, that all Active Travel projects undertaken by the NTA in the vicinity of schools, whether part of the SRTS Programme or not, seek to include that school as part of those projects. Any school seeking new or improved walking or cycling infrastructure should therefore get in contact with their local authority.