Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
237. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport what funding streams are available from his Department to aid in the design, reconfiguration and support of pedestrian safety in the locality of schools. [47878/23]
View answerIn March 2021, I launched the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme as a response to the need to improve safety at the ‘front of school’ environment and enhance access to school grounds. The programme aims to support walking, scooting and cycling to primary and post-primary schools and to create safer walking and cycling routes within communities. This will help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school by providing the necessary infrastructure.
The Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA). An Taisce’s Green-Schools is coordinating the programme and funding will be made available to local authorities who will play a key part in delivering the infrastructure along access routes and at the school gate. The improvements to the school commute could range from an upgraded footpath or new cycle lane to a complete reworking of a school’s entrance. The required investment at each school will be dependent on the changes required in each particular case.
All schools were notified of the programme and were invited to apply. 931 applications were received from primary and secondary schools across every county in Ireland, making up around a quarter of all the schools in the country. 167 schools form Round 1 of the Programme with a further 108 schools having been selected for inclusion in Round 2. 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 first two rounds will be selected at a later stage without the need to reapply.
Funding for Active Travel infrastructure for schools is not confined to the Safe Routes to Schools Programme alone. It is important to note that all Active Travel funding looks to improve links to schools where possible, and this will be provided through the Programme for Government commitment that €360 million in cross-Government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government.
