Dublin City Council has put forward a funding package for safe cycling infrastructure for the first time in its new budget for the capital.

The billion-euro budget, which passed in Council, will see a specific proportion of the road maintenance budget allocated to cycling infrastructure. The 20% allocation will be worth over €2.8m, over the existing capital budget.

These funds will be utilised for safe cycling infrastructure, including full segregation from other traffic, wands, and resurfacing.

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Leader of the Green Group on Dublin City Council, Councillor Neasa Hourigan said: "This is a real win for cycling in Dublin. Safer facilities will encourage more people to get on a bike.

"We're proud to secure this despite financial difficulties imposed on the city by Fine Gael government cuts.

"Fine Gael has acted in a deeply dishonest way by promising a bridging fund for the shortfall in funds from Irish Water and removing it less than three months before the budget meeting."

Green Party spokesperson for Transport, Councillor Patrick Costello added: "We're delivering for Dublin in this budget. Cycling could be both safer and more widespread with proper investment – investment that this government has failed to provide and cyclists have tragically had to pay the price. 

"In this year alone there have been at least eight cyclist fatalities as a result of inadequate infrastructure. We on Dublin City Council are delivering while the minister isn't."

(CM/JG)