The Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport says there will €360 million spent on walking and cycling projects under Budget 2021.
Speaking at a briefing in Government Buildings, Eamon Ryan said there will be "about 200" walking and cycling projects funded and while some of them will take time there are others such as the Royal Canal Phase 3 scheme which are ready to go.
He also cited the Clontarf to City Centre scheme in Dublin which he described as a really good example of good design which in his mind sets the standard.
He said walking and cycling infrastructure such as the new bridge planned for over the River Shannon at Athlone as part of the Dublin to Galway Greenway can change the whole sense of the public realm in an area.
The minister gave the new coastal route in Dún Laoghaire as an example of a project that has already done that.
There will also be a roll out of a new Safe Routes to School programme, which will include delivery of improved cycling and walking infrastructure to schools, provision of front of school treatments to provide enhanced sustainable access to school grounds and expansion of cycle parking at schools.
He said the capacity of the National Transport Authority will be enhanced to enable it to deliver as will Transport Infrastructure Ireland as it can provide engineering expertise to local authorities.
The minister said the message to local authorities is to come at them with schemes as he wants to see them advancing ambitious projects.
He said another message is that Greenways must link into urban areas and be not just about tourism but for people to use locally to get from one place to another.
He said the nature of cycling infrastructure is that it is local, so that will be done by local authorities but most of the funding coming from central Government.
