NO RULES are in place to stipulate that only urban areas are eligible for Active Travel funding, the Minister for Transport has said.

Councillors in North and West Clare have been vocal in their criticism of changes to the funding scheme which has put a greater emphasis on projects in towns rather than rural villages.

According to the Minister for Transport, there is no rural/urban divide in the allocation of funds. The €4.5m allocation for Clare in February 2023 saw €1.7m go towards the Tulla Rd scheme in Ennis and €549,287 to Ballycasey in Shannon.

Both Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) and Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) tabled motions last September seeking Active Travel to be applied on an equal basis to urban and rural areas. Cllr Lynch remarked that West and North Clare was not getting enough to manage successfully and would need to either get its fair share or get a different scheme set up.

Active Travel was labelled as “one of the most exciting schemes” ever established by Cllr Garrihy. He outlined, “We were so excited with the scheme – we had the opportunity to do something completely exciting, like the footpaths in Doolin. Active Travel does the smallest but most important thing, it slows down the traffic and makes it safe outside the school”.

In correspondence issued to the West Clare Municipal District last month, Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan (GP) stated, “As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall funding and policy decisions 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”.

He explained, “it should be noted that the NTA works with local authorities to identify projects which would 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”.

Minister Ryan said they are in a phase of “project prioritisation” where areas with the greatest impact are favoured. “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 space of project prioritisation, whereby funding will be allocated to areas of greatest impact. The NTA will continue to work with local authorities to identify viable projects across both urban and rural areas which should receive funding in 2025.

“I can assure you that there is no rule in place whereby funding must only be spent in our cities and larger towns,” he said. “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,” he concluded.

Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) acknowledged the correspondence and noted that it came in response to the disappointment expressed by councillors.

Related News

patrick bourke 05-11-24 2
'If this snag becomes a spot for winos I'll leave superglue on it & glue their arses to it' - Bourke calls out slow pace of Ennis public realm works
ballot beats ge 24
Ballot Beats: Cosying up in the Women's Shed in Feakle & not daring to take on the teachers
le19 ballot boxes
Public urged to check the voting register before Tuesday
ennis o'connell street works 05-11-24 17
'Streets of Ennis will look very good but will traders survive till the end game'
Latest News
éire óg v ennistymon 13-10-24 ikem ugwueru 1
Goal & assist from Ikem helps propel Éire Óg to Munster semi-finals
Road safety
Bad weather can strike suddenly be prepared
sean considine 2
Considine wins at the Worlds
Body wow
Does it really work? Real-life experience with EMS training
clare footballs galiec
Keane working to add to Clare football management
Premium
helga himmelsbach ballyvaughan protest
Lisdoonvarna widow 'trapped in a nightmare' over husband's road death & French motorist receives suspended 17 month prison term
castleisland desmonds v kilmurry ibrickane 03-11-24 dymphna garrahy hannah herlihy 1
Kilmurry Ibrickane disappointed to exit Munster but confident of building on senior success
kilmihil v éire óg 01-04-23 peter cosgrave paul madden seanie buckley 1
Éire Óg not daring to look beyond Adare as Munster club campaign commences
tony killeen mike taylor páraic mcmahon 1
The Electoral Chair: Friends & foes in politics | Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael tipped for Clare success | Political comebacks
clare v limerick oscar traynor 07-11-24 scott kirkland cian mcdonough 1
Limerick leave Clare empty handed in Oscar Traynor opener

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Subscribe for just €3 per month

If you’re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just €3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter €8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.

Scroll to Top