“Time for government to get serious on cycling,” Labour says

Labour TD Ciarán Ahern has marked National Bike Week by calling on the government to deliver a major expansion in active travel investment as part of Budget 2026, warning that Ireland continues to lag behind on safe cycling infrastructure while congestion, transport costs and emissions continue to rise.

The Dublin South-West TD said, “National Bike Week should not simply be a week of photo-ops. It should be a wake-up call for the government. People across Ireland want safe, affordable and practical alternatives to sitting in traffic every day, but the infrastructure simply is not there.”

“We need far more ambitious action if we are serious about reducing emissions, cutting congestion and lowering transport costs for households. Encouraging active travel is central to all three. Right now too many people feel unsafe cycling because routes are fragmented, delayed or non-existent,” Labour’s transport spokesperson said.

“Labour’s Alternative Budget outlined a practical cycling package that would make a real difference in communities across Ireland. We would expand the active travel capital budget by 10%, providing an additional €28.6 million to speed up the delivery of cycling and walking infrastructure. We would also invest €6.3 million to maintain existing cycling routes because neglected infrastructure quickly becomes unsafe infrastructure,” he explained.

“Cycling should not be a luxury available only to those who can already afford it. The current Cycle to Work scheme excludes students, many self-employed workers and those out of work. Labour would provide €5 million in grants of up to €250 for people purchasing bikes, alongside reducing VAT on bicycles, e-bikes and safety equipment,” he noted.

“We also want to expand the Cycle to Work scheme to allow parents to purchase bicycles for their children through a new ‘Cycle to School’ initiative. Families should not face financial barriers when trying to choose healthier and more sustainable ways to travel.

Ahern said there is “enormous potential” for e-bikes and cargo bikes to replace short car journeys, particularly second cars in households.

Ahern said that Labour would introduce a €25 million pilot scrappage scheme offering grants of up to €2,500 for e-bikes and cargo bikes when an older car is traded in, which he said could remove up to 10,000 older cars from Irish roads while helping families switch to cleaner and cheaper transport.

“We are also proposing €26 million in capital funding to expand city bike schemes, including support for expansion into towns such as Drogheda, Dundalk and Swords. We would support the rollout of e-bikes within these schemes to facilitate longer distance travel and provide funding to help reduce trip costs for users,” he said.

“Government cannot continue talking about climate targets while communities remain trapped in traffic and families struggle with rising transport costs. Budget 2026 must deliver real investment in active travel, safer streets and affordable transport choices. The time for delay has long passed,” Ahern stated.