Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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199. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will instruct the NTA to support active travel projects in rural towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3587/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.

It should be noted that the NTA works with local authorities to identify projects which would most benefit from investment through its Active Travel Programme. These projects are usually based in cities, towns both large and small, and rural villages. There are many examples of projects which have received funding around the country outside the larger urban areas.

There is a large number of projects in the pipeline for delivery around the country in the next few years, and as such, we are moving into a period of project prioritisation, whereby funding will be allocated to areas of greatest impact in modal shift. The NTA will continue to work with local authorities to identify viable projects across both urban and rural areas which should receive funding in the coming years.

Providing viable active travel infrastructure across both rural and urban areas is vital for encouraging modal shift away from private car use where possible, which is a key priority going forward as we try to meet our carbon emission reduction targets.