Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 October 2023
13. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Transport his plans to accelerate delivery of active travel networks in order to provide appropriate infrastructure for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43183/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation active travel infrastructure and I am glad to say there has been significant progress in relation to both in recent years.
At a policy level, last year I published Sustainable Mobility Policy which has two particularly relevant high-level goals, namely –
• Goal 5: Take a whole of journey approach to mobility, promoting inclusive access for all; and
• Goal 6: Design infrastructure according to Universal Design Principles and the Hierarchy of Road Users model
And implementation of that policy is supported by Government’s commitment to allocate €360 million per annum toward active travel.
In terms of individual projects, responsibility for their development and delivery lies with the National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities.
However, at a Departmental level, my Department has established a National Guidelines and Standards Group (NGSG) to oversee and coordinate all design guidelines and standards (including accessibility, cycling and other Active Travel projects) which have been developed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the NTA and Department of Transport.
The Group seeks to improve the consistency of approach across state bodies, including with the National Disability Authority (NDA), to lead to a more streamlined and consistent approach to the design and delivery of projects through the setting of minimum common requirements including on audit and quality control. I am currently seeking to further strengthen the Group, including through expanding the membership to include representatives from various organisations including the NDA.
Delivery of improved active travel networks continues apace across the country, supported by active travel teams now established in every local authority. I agree with the Deputy that the roll-out of improved and continuous active travel networks brings benefits to all users of such networks, including persons with disabilities and I look forward to seeing continued delivery in the years ahead.
