Just 40% of Ireland’s active travel budget drawn on in 2022

Ireland’s National Transport Authority has released data that shows a chronic underuse of the €387 million active travel budget, with just 40.8% drawn from the total pot by local authorities, campuses and hospitals in 2022.

Flagging the situation yesterday, BusinessPost.ie drilled down into the data, discovering that four local authorities had utilised under 20% of the available budget, with Galway County Council and Sligo County Council by far the most lacklustre performers at just 6% of a €7.8 million budget and 16% of a €3 million budget used, respectively.

On the reverse side of the coin, five councils of the 31 in Ireland put to use more than half of their allocated allowances. Having been most enthused about putting the money to use, Monaghan took 70% of its €2.5 million budget, closely followed by the 68% drawn by Mayo County Council whose budget was €5 million. Tipperary took 65% of its €6.6 million; Laois 59% of its €3 million and South Dublin Council 59% of its enormous €18.1 million purse.

Ominously, as is the case where Active Travel England are distributing funds in England, those councils that are found not to be using the money will be penalised, according to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan. He previously pledged to take funding from one pot where cash remains and fill the pots of those that are actively making progress.

A full list of the individual active travel grants and investments, organised on a council by council basis, can be found here.