As the national charity fighting heart disease and stroke, the Irish Heart Foundation welcomes the announcement which will make it easier and safer for all age groups to be active through cycling.

Figures show that nearly half the Irish population is not active enough for their health. Being inactive can double the risk of developing coronary heart disease and means you are twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to someone who is active.

But the good news is you only need 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days for your health. Just 30 minutes a day will help you use about 200 calories per day, strengthen your bones and muscles, strengthen your heart and circulation and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

The development of a National Cycle Network is an important initiative for population health and we hope it will encourage all ages to use cycling as a an active transport in their daily lives by cycling to work and school. This is a positive step in the fight against Ireland's biggest killer - heart disease and stroke - and we hope to see implementation of these plans in the near future.

Ends.