• €33 million awarded to 22 local authorities for 531 active travel projects

• €14 million to 26 local authorities for 273 climate change adaptation measures

Ministers Ryan and Naughton have announced the grant allocations for Active Travel and Climate Change Adaptation measures under the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus Plan. This is part of the overall €115 million package for sustainable transport and the renewal of our transport infrastructure

Following consideration of applications received from local authorities, grants totalling €33 million are now being allocated to 22 local authorities for 531 active travel projects. These projects, which will be implemented this year, include 263 related to the construction and improvement of footpaths, 75 involving cycleway works and 193 associated with improving accessibility.

Among the projects to be funded are:

• Provision of new cycle lanes and footpaths in the immediate area of Carlow IT.

• Design of an interconnected network of cycleway in Killarney town and the creation of a new cycleway connecting Muckross Road to Ross road.

• Installation of new footpaths in Oranmore, Athenry, Gort, Tuam, Headford, Co. Galway.

• Creation of ‘slow zones’ in Letterkenny, Co.Donegal.

• Reconstruction and renewal of defective footpaths in Dungarvan town, Co.Waterford.

• Improvement of crossing facilities in towns and villages across the country including raised surfaces, zebra crossings and signalised crossings.

This is in addition to the €55 million in grants recently announced by the National Transport Authority (NTA) for local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area and the four regional cities.

Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks, Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, commented:

“The Active Travel grant scheme is a very positive initiative which will see communities across the country benefiting from improved and more accessible walking and cycling infrastructure as well as stimulating local employment. The projects included in the scheme can make a real difference to people – footpaths and cycle ways that allow children to walk/cycle to school and to local sport clubs; the dishing of footpaths and pedestrian crossings that improve access to local amenities and links to public transport, and improvements to town and village centres that will support our hard hit retail and hospitality sectors.

Grant applications for climate change adaptation measures were also sought from local authorities funded under the Department’s regional and local road maintenance and renewal grant programme. Funding totalling €14 million is being provided to 26 local authorities for 273 schemes. The projects approved for funding include 150 schemes aimed at alleviating flooding to roads and property, 37 involving works to improve embankment stability to prevent slippage, 41 relating to essential road repairs associated with severe weather and 45 to bridge strengthening and repairs.

These projects include:

• Replacement and repair of the sea wall in Rathmullan Co.Donegal

• Preventative drainage works on roads across the country, as well as altering the level of roads to mitigate flooding and reduce road closure frequencies

• Install drainage network & upgrade to sections of the road in Rathangan, Co. Kildare, to deal with extreme flooding situations

• Preventative and repair measures to the R489 road network Ballincor, Co. Tipperary.

Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton TD, said:

“The recent severe weather has again highlighted the challenges presented by climate change on our road infrastructure. The Climate Change Adaptation grants now being provided will help local authorities to deal with the essential repairs needed in the aftermath of the severe weather but also to take steps towards making their road networks more resilient in the longer term. Families and businesses in our villages, towns and cities right across the country will benefit from these important ‘shovel ready’ projects as soon as November this year. The funding being announced today will go a long way in facilitating a secure environment for our children in their daily commute to school as part of our work on the Safe Routes to School initiative.”