Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
114. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport when the next tranche of the Safe Routes to School Programme will be announced; if consideration will be given to including a school (details supplied) in view of ongoing health and safety concerns owing to the lack of a footpath from the village to the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66452/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was launched in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions including, in some cases, School Zones.
These projects should help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school. The Safe Routes to School Programme is funded by my Department through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce's Green Schools is co-ordinating the programme.
Invitations to express interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country, and 932 applications were received from schools across every county in Ireland. Schools are processed in tranches, with 3 rounds having been announced to date.
As the Deputy is aware, Rathduff National School applied to the original call for applications and were accepted into the programme. Although not selected in the Rounds to date, they, like all other schools that applied for the programme, will be selected for inclusion in a future forthcoming round.
The next round of the Safe Routes to School Programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
