Mr. Brian Deegan:

On the business side of things, in Spain, the small rural community of Pontevedra has banned cars, and everybody wants to go there to do business and live. When Google came to Camden in London, its managing director said it was doing so because of the great cycling infrastructure. I spent 15 years building that and know that it attracts businesses. Most rural areas will want to attract businesses. My family is from the Kilmessan area in rural Ireland, so I know the situation well. If the only offering is no footways and 60 km/h roads that are barely wide enough, that is not a place to set up a business. Ireland is beautiful, with a lot of green, natural capital; people want to live in rural areas but not if they do not have the choice of active travel. It is a way of bringing in business, which is a way of selling it to the rural communities.