Engineers Ireland has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD that funding for up to 248 new jobs in local authorities has been secured to expand walking and cycling facilities nationwide.
As part of the plan developed by the National Transport Authority, up to 218 additional staff will be employed across local authorities, with an additional 30 proposed for Regional Cycling Design Offices.
The new staff will be dedicated to delivering and promoting active travel in Ireland and will work across design, communication/community liaison and construction oversight functions. The new staff will support the delivery of almost 1,000 kilometres of improved walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025.
Sustainability series
The announcement came as Engineers Ireland hosted the first online event in its new sustainability series. The free weekly seminar series explores the role of the engineers in developing more sustainable cities and communities, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and presents case study examples of leading sustainability engineering projects.
Roy O'Connor, Chartered Engineer, and chair of Engineers Ireland’s Roads & Transportation Society, said: “The Roads & Transportation Society of Engineers Ireland welcomes today’s funding announcement which will ensure that expertise will be available to improve our country’s walking and cycling infrastructure.
"This investment will directly benefit local communities, allowing for greater interconnectivity and make active travel such as walking and cycling even more accessible. In turn the use of this infrastructure will make a major contribution to public health policies.
“This investment also underpins the imminent publication of the National Transport Authority’s five-year Walking & Cycling Plan, which will set out a strategy for delivering a continued growth of sustainable modes of travel across Ireland,” Mr O’Connor added.
For more information on Engineers Ireland’s Sustainability Grand Tour series, visit: www.engineersireland.ie