Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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227. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps that will be taken to ensure that all transport authorities prioritise active travel modes in developing, providing and managing transport infrastructure. [1152/25]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.

The Government is committed to achieving modal shift in transport and increasing the number of Active Travel journeys over the coming years. This is evidenced in both the commitments made under various policy documents including the Programme for Government, the Climate Action Plan and my Department's National Sustainable Mobility Plan, as well as the significant increase in funding for walking and cycling measures over the past four years.

It is important we move quickly to reduce our carbon emissions and in doing so we must promote a modal shift away from private car use. This will not be achieved without the provision of alternative transport modes such as active travel and public transport.

The Government has committed to significant levels of funding for walking and cycling infrastructure during this decade - around €360 million per annum - which reflects the fact that Active Travel is a priority in the area of transport infrastructure provision.

Investment in Active Travel infrastructure has increased significantly in recent years, with around €290 million allocated to the NTA for such projects last year alone.

I consider this investment to be hugely beneficial to our society, our health and our environment, and in particular will contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions as per the Government's Climate Action Plan. It will support projects across the country, in both urban and rural Ireland, as this Government seeks to change the nature of transport in Ireland.

In addition to the above, a National Guidelines and Standards Group has been established to oversee and coordinate all guidelines and standards (including cycling and other Active Travel projects) which have been developed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the NTA and Department of Transport. This group comprises of members from each of these bodies as well as the City and County Management Association (CCMA). It also covers the areas of quality control, training and implementation monitoring. Progress to date includes:

- Circulars setting out a framework for guidelines and standards, as well as improved quality control measures;

- Updates to DMURS Guidelines and supporting training on these guidelines, including online workshops and graduate programmes.

The 2009 National Cycling Policy Network also set out the requirement for Local Authorities to assign an officer at an appropriate senior level to act as an Active Travel Officer (ATO), also known as Walking and Cycling Officers with many Local Authorities employing an ATO prior to the commencement of the current National Transport Authority (NTA) Active Travel resourcing programme in 2021. This commitment was also reaffirmed in the Programme for Government in 2020.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of filled positions across Local Authorities for technical roles in the delivery of Active Travel infrastructure, reflecting the substantial increase in funding and project delivery since 2020 which will ensure a continuous high level of project delivery in the coming years.