James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A car park with a bus stop is all that is needed so that people living in rural townlands surrounding those villages have the option of driving to the area where they can access to rapid public transport services that will bring them to their hubs of education, employment and any access to services they desperately need as well. East Cork, which I represent, would be such an excellent model for the Minister to consider regarding implementing such a system. If the Minister is serious about getting cars off the road but bringing people from rural Ireland with him on that journey, that is one of the only ways I can see it happening. He could do it through a pilot project through the NTA like the Safe Schools programme or through the local authorities. Every local authority in the country would appreciate that as well because many village settlements and small towns in Ireland are crying out for additional car parking space to encourage commerce in those centres but from a public transport point of view, this is definitely something we could do to help tackle climate change and help just transition in the area of transport. There is a lot of bad press when it comes to rural Ireland and car usage but, unfortunately, there is no alternative. Let us create that alternative. I ask the Minister to consider that point.