I must now deal with a postponed division relating to amendment No. 2 to the motion regarding promoting cycling. On Wednesday, 19 December 2018, on the question that amendment No. 2 to the motion be agreed to, a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 70(2), that division must be taken now.
Promoting Cycling: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Robert Troy on Wednesday, 19 December 2018:
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises:
— the rapidly growing popularity of cycling as a means of transport, particularly in Ireland's urban and suburban areas, as evidenced by recent Census figures and the popularity of schemes such as the dublinbikes public bicycle rental scheme;
— the considerable health benefits that regular physical activity, such as cycling, brings to citizens and the need to promote such activity;
— the high level of economic returns and value for money that cycling projects give;
— that chronic congestion is grinding our cities and road arteries to a halt, making it more difficult and more unpleasant for people to get to work;
— that cycling is a zero-carbon mode of transport and one which can help to reduce Ireland's carbon emissions, as per our commitments at European Union and international level;
— that Ireland lags behind our European peers in the provision of safe cycling infrastructure, such as dedicated cycle lanes, secure bike storage facilities and cyclist-friendly traffic lights; and
— that the largest cycling conference in the world is due to take place in Dublin in June 2019, and that Ireland needs to show progress on the development of cycling infrastructure;
condemns:
— the considerable safety risks that cyclists face on Irish roads, owing to our poorly developed cycling infrastructure;
— the current low funding allocations for cycling at only approximately two per cent of the overall land transport capital budget; and
— the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport's failure to bring forward legislation requiring drivers to maintain a minimum distance when passing cyclists; and
calls on the Government to:
— prioritise the rollout of dedicated cycle tracks, that are physically segregated from other road users, across the country;
— place cycling infrastructure at the heart of transport infrastructure planning by appointing a dedicated cycling officer to every local authority at an appropriate level of seniority, and by establishing a dedicated cycling division within the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to coordinate activity and projects across all departments;
— introduce cycle friendly legislative initiatives, similar to those of our European neighbours to promote the growth of cycling, including contra-flow cycling, left turn at red lights and joint use of pedestrian crossings;
— build on the successes of bike sharing schemes by expanding these schemes to major suburbs of towns and cities;
— revise the Bike to Work scheme to allow commuters to purchase a new bike every three years instead of every five years, and to extend this scheme to pensioners and unemployed people;
— introduce immediate supplementary funding to local authorities to support the rollout of 'quick win' projects supporting safe cycling and walking routes in the short term;
and
— prioritise two cycling projects to be delivered in advance of Velo-City 2019.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 2:
To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:
“welcomes:
— the growing popularity of cycling as a means of transport, particularly in Ireland’s urban and suburban areas, as evidenced by recent census figures;
— the ambition of the Government to deliver strategic cycle networks in our major urban centres, and high-quality greenways in rural areas;
— the Government’s commitment towards delivering improved cycling infrastructure as part of the BusConnects programme in our major cities;
— the unprecedented funding made available under the National Development Plan to support such delivery;
— the establishment of the Cycle Right training programme in primary schools and its expansion in 2019; and
— the planned construction of a number of significant cycle projects in 2019; and
calls on the Government to:
— prioritise the delivery of improved cycling infrastructure in both urban and rural areas in line with the commitments made under the National Development Plan;
— continue to work with the National Transport Authority, as the relevant statutory authority, in ensuring the timely and effective implementation of cycling-related programmes and projects; and
— consider, within the context of the ongoing review of public and sustainable transport policy, and taking cognisance of the overall budgetary parameters as set out in the National Development Plan, whether further cycle-friendly legislative, policy or institutional initiatives could usefully be applied in Ireland.”
-(Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport)
Amendment again put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 53; Níl, 82; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Bailey, Maria.
- Breen, Pat.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Halligan, John.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lowry, Michael.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Tom.
- Noonan, Michael.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Stanton, David.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Adams, Gerry.
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Brassil, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Browne, James.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Burton, Joan.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Collins, Michael.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Curran, John.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Stephen S.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Harty, Michael.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Martin, Catherine.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Jonathan.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Frank.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- O'Sullivan, Maureen.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Troy, Robert.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Seán Kyne and Tony McLoughlin; Níl, Deputies Michael Moynihan and John Lahart.
Amendment declared lost.
We must now consider amendment No. 3.
I move amendment No. 3:
To insert the following after "pensioners and unemployed people;":
"— introduce urban planning measures that return our cities to the people, by prioritising cyclists, pedestrian and public transport users in urban centres, and ending the dominance of the private motor car;"
How stands the amendment?
I am pressing it.
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 41; Níl, 95; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Adams, Gerry.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Burton, Joan.
- Collins, Joan.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Harty, Michael.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- O'Brien, Jonathan.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
Níl
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Bailey, Maria.
- Brassil, John.
- Breen, Pat.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Collins, Michael.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Cowen, Barry.
- Creed, Michael.
- Curran, John.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donnelly, Stephen S.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Fitzgerald, Frances.
- Fitzmaurice, Michael.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Halligan, John.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kelleher, Billy.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Lowry, Michael.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Tom.
- Nolan, Carol.
- Noonan, Michael.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Rourke, Frank.
- O'Sullivan, Maureen.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Brendan Ryan and Jan O'Sullivan; Níl, Deputies Michael Moynihan and John Lahart.
Amendment declared lost.
I move amendment No. 1:
(a) To insert the following after “cyclist-friendly traffic lights; and”:
“— the potential demonstrated in some other European countries with climates similar to, or more difficult, than Ireland, for cycling to be the dominant transport mode for short journeys and to greatly assist the use of public transport for long journeys; and”;
(b) To insert the following after “poorly developed cycling infrastructure;”:
“— the failure of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to implement the Government policies, ‘Smarter Travel - A Sustainable Transport Future’ and the ‘National Cycling Policy Framework’;”;
and
(c) To insert the following after “pensioners and unemployed people;”:
“— ensure that ten per cent of transport funding is allocated to cycling;”
Amendment put.
Is ceann suimiúil é seo daoibh. As the tellers nominated to sign for the "Níl" side have declined to participate, I declare amendment No. 1 to the motion, in the name of the Green Party, to be carried.
Amendment declared carried.
Motion, as amended, agreed to.