Ivana Bacik
Ceist:175. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on progress to require each local authority to appoint a cycling officer. [22850/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 21 May 2024
Ceisteanna (175)
Freagraí scríofa
The 2009 National Cycling Policy Network set out the requirement for Local Authorities to assign an officer at an appropriate senior level to act as an Active Travel Officer (ATO), also known as Walking and Cycling Officers with many Local Authorities employing an ATO prior to the commencement of the current National Transport Authority (NTA) Active Travel resourcing programme in 2021. This commitment was also reaffirmed in the Programme for Government in 2020.
There has also been a significant increase in the number of filled positions across Local Authorities for technical roles in the delivery of Active Travel infrastructure, reflecting the substantial increase in funding and project delivery since 2020. Currently around 240 staff are in place across the 31 local authorities who are dedicated to the delivery of walking and cycling infrastructure projects around the country.
In 2022 and 2023, full allocation spend was achieved under the NTA's Active Travel Programme and it is therefore considered that the current level of recruitment within the Active Travel teams is sufficient; however my Department and the NTA continue to monitor the staffing levels with a view to maintaining this optimum level going forward, ensuring a continuous high level of project delivery in the coming years.