Government says it remains committed to supporting active travel. Active travel funding includes safe routes to schools and greenways.Budget 2027s active travel funding amounts to a 29% cut once construction inflation is accounted for, campaigners and an opposition spokesperson have highlighted as the Government today outlined its spending priorities for the year ahead.To keep pace with inflation since October 2020, the 360 million-a-year investment in active travel would need to rise to over 510 million today. This is based on the Society of Chartered Surveyors Irelands construction Tender Price Index, as most active travel funding goes to planning and building walking and cycling infrastructure. The 360 million-a-year figure was negotiated by the Green Party when they became a junior coalition partner of Fianna Fil and Fine Gael in the last government. It was set as a yearly figure based on 20% of the transport capital budget in 2020. In real terms, it has declined every year since, including during the last governments term.The freeze in active travel funding comes as the overall transport budget was increased by 840 million year-on-year since Budget 2026.In its Budget day press release, the Department of Transport said: Government remains committed to supporting active travel for its contribution to achieving climate objectives and reducing congestion, as well as its benefits for health and wellbeing. Funding of over 360m in 2027 for dedicated infrastructure for walking and cycling, together with greenway and Safe Routes to Schools projects, support sustainable, active travel as part of our everyday lives.The Department was contacted earlier today about inflation effectively a budget cut. It did not respond with a comment ahead of the publication of this article. Ciarn Ferrie, a founder and spokesperson for I Bike Dublin, a campaign group, said: The Government has once again failed to invest adequately in active travel. The capital funding allocation of 360m for 2027 is exactly the same as it has been every year since 2020.When inflation is factored in, this is, in effect, a 22% cut in funding over that six-year period, he said.In 2013 the NTA published the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan which promised to expand the cycle network from 500km to 2,800km by 2021. Now, 13 years later, most of that network remains unbuilt as the plan gathers dust, he said. Ferrie added: If the government is really serious about helping people with rising fuel costs, they need to invest in sustainable transport to offer viable alternatives to the private car.Ciarn Ahern, Labours spokesperson for climate and transport and a TD for Dublin South-West, said: The Labour Party supports the measures taken on fuel prices to help people who have no alternative but to use petrol or diesel while prices are so high. The longer-term solution though has to be making public transport and active travel more accessible for more people, and crucially, keeping it affordableThat is the best way to protect people from high fuel costs. By failing to provide the necessary funding to stop public transport fare hikes going ahead, the Government is actively choosing to prolong our dependence on fossil fuels, he said.On active travel funding, he said: To add insult to injury, the active travel budget remains static once again. This effectively amounts to a cut in funding. Since 2020, there has been a 22% reduction in active travel funding when accounting for inflation. Instead, the Government has doubled down on their policy of building more roads, inducing more demand, and pushing us further and further away from meeting our climate targets.He added: Time and again, Fianna Fil and Fine Gael have shown us that they have no real interest in ending Irelands reliance on fossil fuels. They have shown no leadership on the climate issue. Ultimately, their failure to ensure that public transport and active travel are accessible and affordable is costing households by leaving us exposed to volatile fossil fuel markets. Budget 2027 has given no indication that that will change.Neasa Bheilbigh, chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign, an umbrella group for most cycle campaign groups across the country, said the group welcomes the continued investment in walking and cycling in Budget 2027 but is disappointed that the allocation does not keep pace with inflation.At a time when we urgently need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, investing in sustainable transport makes clear economic and environmental sense. Walking and cycling infrastructure can often be delivered quickly, provides people with affordable alternatives and build resilience against price shocks, she said.Bheilbigh added: We need to see sustained, real-terms growth in investment in walking and cycling if we are to build the safe, attractive and connected transport network that communities across Ireland.MAIN IMAGE: Commuters on the Royal Canal Greenway in Dublin cycling over a bridge over railway tracks just off North Strand Road.