Dublin active travel funding
Naoise Ó Muirí questions the reduction in Dublin's active travel allocation despite programme commitments to cycling and walking. The Tánaiste explains part of the difference is due to a one-off route in the previous year and says he will continue looking at the matter.
The programme for Government contains a solid and welcome commitment to active travel in the form of cycling and walking. How does this square with the disappointing 2025 active travel funding allocation for the city of Dublin, which the NTA has cut, from an initial allocation of €48 million in 2024 to €39.9 million in 2025? There is a 340 km active travel network coming for Dublin, with 35 km built so far and 80 km in design. Now is not the time to pull back on active travel investment if we want to continue to decarbonise transport and meet emission targets. I ask the Tánaiste to engage with the NTA with a view to restoring that funding so that the programme can continue to deliver for Dubliners.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am aware of his passion in the area of active travel on behalf of his constituents and, indeed, the benefits that it brings in terms of the climate and the capital city.
I have looked into this matter. What I have basically been told is that one of the reasons for the larger budget in 2024 than in 2025 related to a specific scheme called the Fairview to Amiens Street cycle route, which is part of the Clontarf to city centre active travel scheme. That project alone accounted for €20 million of Dublin City Council's 2024 allocation.
However, I take the point that we need to continue to spend more in this area. Dublin City Council has received the highest proportion of sustainable transport funding over the past five years. This continues to be the case in 2025 and I will work with the Deputy to drive it up even further.