I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber once again. The Commencement matter I present today is in regard to the safe routes to school scheme and it follows discussions with Fine Gael councillors in Roscommon: Councillors Liam Callaghan, Valerie Duffy, Ruth Conboy and Dominick Connolly, about their frustration at the introduction of safety schemes around their national schools throughout County Roscommon. The safe routes to school scheme is one of the most positive and forward-thinking initiatives we have seen in recent years. It was developed in 2020 with a simple but powerful goal - to make it safer and easier for children across Ireland to get to school. In many ways it has delivered, where it has delivered. The scheme aims to improve safety at school gates, upgrade walking and cycling routes and encourage active travel among students throughout the country. We are now seeing tangible improvements in that area, with wider footpaths and safer crossings. We have all seen the colourful school zones and traffic calming measures that make a real difference to families.

Since the scheme was introduced in 2021, 526 schools are at various stages of either completion, design or development towards benefiting from this programme.

Investment in the scheme amounts to around €50 million.

We cannot ignore the bigger picture. When the scheme opened initially 932 schools applied, accounting for about 20% of the eligible primary schools. That tells us that this is an important scheme that is in very high demand. A safety scheme outside schools is urgent. There are currently no plans, as far as I know, to reopen the scheme until the remaining 406 schools from the original cohort have been included. At the current pace, and factoring in inflation, significantly more than €50 million will be invested in this initiative, given that projects outside schools cost €200,000 and more. Meanwhile, countless other schools, many in desperate need of basic safety measures, are left waiting, not just for delivery but even for the opportunity to apply to the programme.

We have to ask ourselves if there is a more effective way to protect our children. While the full suite of interventions is welcome - the bells and whistles of colourful pencils sticking up outside the school and anti-grip speed bumps - we are facing ongoing and very real road safety concerns and challenges. Speed remains a major factor in collisions. Rural roads in particular pose a serious risk, with many schools located along high-speed routes where children are most vulnerable.

Perhaps it is time to rethink our approach to this issue. Instead of focusing solely on comprehensive high-cost upgrades for a limited number of schools, should we not also prioritise basic, life-saving interventions for all schools? Measures such as speed reduction zones, speed ramps, flashing warning lights and speed indicator signs can be delivered for around €50,000 per school. These are proven, practical solutions that can significantly reduce risk. For the cost of one major project, we could introduce essential safety measures at multiple schools. Surely the priority must be ensuring that every child in every school has at least a baseline level of protection when they arrive at the school gate.

I know I am short on time. Essentially, for the cost of one of these schemes, we could see interventions and safety measures introduced at multiple schools. A basic speed bump costs about €5,000, so we are looking at €10,000 for one on each approach, and a few thousand more to erect signs at either side of each school. That would ensure that all schools benefit from the core elements of the safe routes to school scheme, giving students safe access to their schools.

I thank Senator Scahill for raising this matter. To be fair to the Senator, he has been a proponent of the safe routes to school scheme for some time. This is my third or fourth time here to discuss with him the issue of safe routes to school.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. There is merit in the suggestions the Senator made. I affirm the Government's strong commitment to active travel. A total of €360 million per annum has been earmarked for the development of walking and cycling facilities, which amounts to a €1.8 billion investment between now and the end of the decade, building on over €1 billion already invested since 2021. This significant investment has delivered nearly 1,100 km of new walking and cycling infrastructure, alongside hundreds of junction upgrades and additional pedestrian crossings, as well as supporting the very successful safe routes to schools initiative.

The Senator quite rightly raised the issue of safety concerns, which are consistently raised as the main barrier to children walking or cycling to school. Parents and guardians often highlight the speed of vehicles, traffic congestion, the absence of footpaths and the lack of safe crossing points as the reasons they choose to drive their children to school instead of having them walk or cycle.

As the Senator articulated, the safe routes to school initiative was launched in 2021 with the aim of promoting the provision of infrastructure interventions, which the Senator just discussed. Over 900 schools signed up to take part in the initiative. There are currently 526 schools across all 31 local authorities actively engaged in the scheme.

I, too, pay tribute to Councillors Callaghan, Duffy, Conboy and my good friend Dominick Connolly, a long-time councillor in Roscommon. They have been very strong in support of the work that Senator Scahill and I have been doing with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in the Department of Transport. To date, 172 schools have completed their works, while a further 31 schools are under construction, with many more progressing through design and statutory approval.

I assure the Senator that I look forward to going back to meet with his colleagues in Roscommon County Council to discuss the matter further.

The data from participating schools shows clear behavioural change, with marked increases in walking and cycling levels along with reduction in car use at the school gate. Our overarching aim is to ease congestion and improve air quality, which allows us to build better physical activity into the children's lives. It is also about the long-term economic benefit and the safety piece. The Senator is right that there is a waiting list.

The scheme, in terms of specific interventions in rural and higher-speed rural environments, focuses on speed reduction, improved driver awareness and school visibility. Early trials have shown that there have been speed reductions of approximately 9% at these locations, which is a huge improvement in safety for all people.

The overarching point we are making is that the money invested reflects the advancing scale and maturity of the programme. The median cost, as we say, is quite high at €380,000 but there are variations depending on the location of the school. I am sure Councillor Connolly will definitely have me down to Roscommon with Senator Scahill to advocate for this. There is no better than the Fine Gael group there that the Senator has worked very strongly with.

The scheme is highly cost effective for two reasons. First, the interventions are targeted and of a relatively low cost. For example, a well-designed crossing or traffic calming measure can be delivered with modest capital investment, yet it fundamentally transforms the space around the school. Second, the scheme is co-ordinated by An Taisce, which does not apply any profit or markup for its contribution. Taken together, this represents excellent value for money.

I look forward to working with the Senator on ensuring the benefits of the safe routes to schools are extended to other schools and far beyond the school gate and that we increase the delivery. I will revert to the Senator in a moment with a couple of other points.

I want to alert the Minister of State that there is a vote in the Dáil. Does he need to go?

I do.

It is an eight-minute bell and has been ringing for three minutes. Senator Scahill can use his minute and then the Minister of State can take his, after which we will move on to the Order of Business.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I believe in the scheme. I welcomed when Ballyfarnon was brought to the design stage recently following an intervention from us in relation to an accident that had happened earlier last year. When it comes to road safety, doing something now is better than waiting years for perfection. Children's safety must come first and while I welcome there are schools that have been introduced, councillors in Roscommon and I are still looking at three national schools on a main road. Lisacul National School, Taughmaconnell National School, Castlesampson National School, Ballybay Central National school, Frenchpark, Killina, Clooneyquinn and Kingsland are all schools that need these measures now. For the price of one or two of these, we could have quick measures introduced now that we know would have an impact on reducing speed.

Seventeen schools in Roscommon. The Senator mentioned Frenchpark. We should remember the late Senator John Connor today who was a great local authorities national politician.

I look forward to working with Senator Scahill to advance the safe routes to school scheme in Roscommon. Seventeen are selected, six have the works completed. I accept the point the Senator makes and I will work with him to deliver on them.

I thank the Minister of State. We now move to the Order of Business as the Minister of State legs it over to the Dáil vote. We will just wait for the Cathaoirleach.