Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to report on the delivery of the safe routes to school scheme. [36421/25]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was launched in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions including, in some cases, School Zones.

These projects should help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school. The Safe Routes to School Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce's Green Schools is co-ordinating the programme.

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. 167 schools form Round 1 of the SRTS Programme while a further 108 schools were announced for Round 2 in December 2022. Round 3 of the SRTS Programme was launched in November 2024 with a further 141 schools entering the programme, including 67 schools located on high-speed rural routes. 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 Rounds to date will be selected for forthcoming rounds.

The NTA has published annual reports in respect of the programme since 2022 and those reports are available at www.nationaltransport.ie/publications/safe-routes-to-school-srts-annual-reports/