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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 December 2018

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Questions (9)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

9. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount sanctioned by his Department or the agencies under the remit of his Department to date in 2018 for the development of greenways and dedicated cycling facilities, respectively; the amount spent on each to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51964/18]

View answer

Oral answers (18 contributions)

I always measure success by delivery. There has been a lot of talk about the development of greenways and dedicated cycle ways but I want to know the amount of money that has been sanctioned either by the Minister or any of the agencies under the remit of his Department for the development of greenways and dedicated cycle ways this year, and the amount that has been spent on the ground.

I thank the Deputy for his question. There are two separate sources for funding of cycling infrastructure within my Department. The tourism development division provides funding for greenway construction while the public transport investment division provides funding to the National Transport Authority, NTA, for the provision of cycling infrastructure, including greenways, within the greater Dublin area and the regional cities of Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway.

I have secured a substantial increase in funding for all forms of cycling and walking infrastructure investment over the coming years. This includes €110 million specifically dedicated to cycling and walking infrastructure in our major urban areas; €135 million for sustainable urban transport measures; and €750 million towards the BusConnects programme in Dublin, which will include the delivery of around 200 km of segregated cycling lanes, where possible.

I am also providing €53 million to support the development of new greenways up to 2021 in more rural areas, in line with the greenways strategy published earlier this year.

As can be seen, these are multi-annual capital expenditure programmes which will positively assist with the better development and provision of cycling and walking infrastructure across the State.

In addition to these infrastructure measures, my Department also provides funding to the NTA in relation to behavioural change programmes and to Cycling Ireland to develop the national cycle training standard Cycle Right, which was first rolled out in January 2017 and is expected to have trained approximately 20,000 primary school students this year.

In relation to cycling facilities specifically, the NTA has statutory responsibility to secure or provide cycling infrastructure in the State. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply.

With regard to the funding provided from my tourism development division, in 2018, €3,650,000 was allocated for greenways. As there was no open funding call at the time, and there were no new projects commencing this year, this allocation was for ongoing projects that were funded by my Department in previous years. To date, €3,256,402 of this allocation has been spent in 2018.

As somebody who prided himself on being direct and to the point in asking about the issue at hand in the Seanad, when I was a Member anyway, the Minister must have been very embarrassed to read out that long, convoluted answer to a question I did not ask. Do I take it that the total State investment in greenways and dedicated cycle ways this year across the 30 local authorities is only €3.65 million, which is the equivalent of approximately €100,000 per local authority - it is nothing - and the expenditure is even less? Can he confirm that is all that has been spent on greenways and cycling infrastructure, despite all the talk of plans for years? When will we get something delivered in that regard?

I do not know whether the Deputy was listening to my reply-----

-----but I quoted a figure which I would have thought he and others in this House would greet with a great deal of glee and salute the fact that the Government is making a very large commitment to greenways. The Deputy said derisively that only €3.6 million was allocated this year, but what does he say about the €53 million which is available for greenways from 2019 to 2023? The current application form for that was issued in August and the application process closed on 30 November 2018. He should not dismiss that. The Deputy plucked figures out of the air which are convenient to him but €53 million is the amount that will be given, and that process is already in train. It is wrong for him to say we have not spent enough this year without acknowledging that €53 million and that there is a commitment to greenways in the Deputy's area as well as others. It would be far more laudable if he said, "Thank God the Minister is embarking on a great adventure with greenways". Greenways have been a great success.

Greenways in Mayo and Waterford have been a great success.

Regarding the greenway in Waterford, I started that particular project-----

Congratulations. Well done. More power to the Deputy.

Deputy Ó Cuív, without interruption.

-----and the one in Limerick.

More power to him on that also.

That shows how far back it goes.

The Minister threw out big figures. This Government has been throwing out big figures about housing but it has not been building houses. This Government throws out big figures for projects into the future but it does not deliver. I asked a specific question about delivery this year of either formal approvals of money for greenways or cycle paths or actual delivery on the ground.

Can the Minister confirm that the amount sanctioned this year for greenways and dedicated cycleways was €3.65 million across the State, and that the expenditure was €3.2 million? That was the question and that is the answer I want confirmed on the record of the Dáil. He must remember I represent the whole country, as we all do, including the Minister. Can he tell me that those are the facts and stick to the question that has been asked of him?

Before the Minister responds, there are three Deputies sitting here who will not get their questions in. Deputies, and not only the Minister, continue to exceed the time. The Minister has one minute. I ask him to limit it to one minute because I want to accommodate those who have been sitting here. We will not keep within the time limit if the Deputies do not co-operate.

The figure quoted of €3.65 million, which the Deputies had an answer to already, does not recognise the number of authorities which have committed to applying for greenway funding. I repeat for Deputy Ó Cuív - it would be good if he acknowledged this - that Galway County Council has gone for two, Kerry County Council for three, Donegal County Council for three and Wexford County Council for two. I congratulate the Deputy for all he did for greenways in his time in government but for some reason, he magicked all this funding out of the air. Fianna Fáil overspent when it was in government. We will not spend money we do not have.

We were producing large surpluses.

I would appeal to the three Deputies left to love their colleagues for the next 15 minutes, keep their questions as brief as possible and we will get all their questions in.

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