Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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409. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when applications will open for the Safe Routes to School Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59571/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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. Schools are processed in tranches with 3 rounds having been announced to date. 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.

Given the pipeline of projects due for completion, there are no plans for an additional call for schools to join the SRTS programme currently. It should however be noted that because a school is not currently in the SRTS Programme, it does not mean that it will not receive any new or improved Active Travel infrastructure.

In some cases, schools outside the SRTS Programme are included in wider Active Travel projects if they are in the vicinity of these works. I would therefore recommend that any school not currently registered with the SRTS Programme to contact their local authority in relation to potential funding in this area.