Major underspend of Clare’s Active Travel funding

GREEN Senator Róisín Garvey has called on Clare County Council to “do better” in terms of using funds allocated for cycling and walking infrastructure.

The Inagh woman highlighted figures released by the National Transport Authority (NTA) showing that 81.3% of funds allocated to Clare under the Active Travel Fund were not spent last year.

“In Clare our local authority was allocated €5,986,000 for walking and cycling projects in the Clare County for the year 2021,” Senator Garvey, Green Party Spokesperson for Rural Development and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said.

“However, according to figures released by the NTA, only €1,113,509 of this was spent. We need to do better for our community. It is understandable that the significant increase in funding since 2019 requires increased capacity, and there have been many additional challenges for our local authority during Covid. However, funding has also been provided for a new Travel Officer role, dedicated to local walking and cycling projects and we need to start seeing faster progress.”

Since 2020, the Green Party has increased investment in active travel infrastructure from €45m in 2019 to €289m nationally in 2022. These projects include new and improved pathways, cycleways, safe routes to schools and lighting.

“There is €5,298,000 allocated for County Clare in 2022,” Senator Garvey continued. “The money and the skills are there, now we need action. I’m asking the public to call on your local councillors, across every party, to demand safer paths and cycleways outside your homes, your schools, your places of work, to help create a safer and more liveable community. It’s time to put people first.”

The transport sector represents approximately 18% of Ireland’s carbon emissions nationally, with road transport and private car usage carrying the most significant carbon footprint. Research indicates that an increase in walking and cycling could significantly reduce car use.”

Senator Róisín Garvey noted that, nationally, less than half of the national allocated funding to 19 local authorities last year remains unspent. Meanwhile, a third of the funding provided to local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area and regional cities also remains unspent. “Let’s do better in 2022 and call on local authorities to get spending and make walking and cycling a priority,” she said.

In response to a query from The Champion, Clare County Council outlined its approach to the use of the Active Travel Fund last year, but stopped short of explaining why just over 80% of its allocation was not spent.

The Council confirmed that €1.3 million had been drawn down from the multi-annual programme. The authority declined to itemise the individual projects funded. A total of 28 Clare projects were allocated funding last year.

A spokesperson for the local authority said that, “In respect of the €5.9m Active Travel Allocation in 2021, County Clare focused on the following: New and widened footpaths and improved permeability; Footpath links from schools, churches, shops in towns and villages across Clare; Pedestrian crossings; Bus stops/bus shelters; Quick wins/small project/positive impact; Local requirements, public consultation; Support from Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland; National Transport Authority; Active Travel financial support and governance; Active Travel design review and support [and] Safer route to school programme – NTA, An Taisce, Schools.”

The response said that “at a conceptual and design level”, the aim has been to “Redesign of existing network; Upgrade old cycle lanes; Design of new cycle lanes; Create linkages [and] Retrofit existing roads with new cycle lanes”.

The spokesperson added that the focus had been put on “Medium term Active Travel Design Projects (3-5 years); New footbridges in urban centres; New cycle lane project between key settlements [and] Mobility and transportation planning”.