William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

219. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding allocated in 2026 for rural active travel infrastructure such as footpaths, cycle ways, and safe routes to schools; the way his Department will ensure that all local authorities have the capacity to deliver these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62632/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel infrastructure. The National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities are responsible for the allocation of funding at local authority level as well as the oversight of development and delivery of individual projects.

In general, the main focus of active travel investment is to support high quality walking and cycling infrastructure for everyday trips in villages, towns and cities, with a view to promoting the greatest potential modal shift to active travel. Investment in active travel across the country has remained at a consistently high level in recent years with over €290 million in funding provided to local authorities through the NTA's Active and Sustainable Transport Investment Programme in 2025 alone.

Given the ramping up of activities over the last few years in the Active Travel area, the number of projects being progressed now exceeds the level of funding made available to the NTA. Accordingly, the NTA is unable to fully fund all proposed Active Travel projects and has to prioritise certain projects over others in order to remain within its allocated budget. While a project may not be selected by the NTA for funding in a particular year, it may be funded in subsequent years.

As part of the allocations determination, the NTA liaises with each local authority to fully understand the projects being proposed by the local authority and its considerations in terms of priorities. I was delighted that in Budget 2026, the overall funding for the Active Travel and Greenways Programme will remain at €360 million into next year. Local authority allocations for 2026, including for Safe Routes to School projects, will be confirmed by the NTA early in the New Year.