Mr. Conn Donovan:

Deputy Ó Broin mentioned potential active leadership or getting active travel infrastructure projects over the line. There is a massive need in Ireland to market these campaigns and to sell them to people and change the narrative. We are spending almost €1 million a day on these projects, but I often do not see money that actually sells the message of why we need them. Compared with the UK, Manchester and London both have cycling commissioners, and they are people who have great skill sets and are very senior, perhaps almost to the level of a Deputy, who can go on the media, visit communities and market those campaigns. Perhaps one of the reasons we have stronger and stronger bike advocacy groups around the country is that there is probably a lack of leadership, and those groups are forming and going into an empty vacuum to promote projects.

It is a huge honour for me to be here today, but I am primary school teacher. I go back to senior infants tomorrow. There should be someone on the radio tomorrow in Cork selling the message of why we need active travel, why we need to take road space away and the challenges we are facing regarding public health and climate action. Cycling commissioners for each of our regional cities who can sell the message the schemes would be very important.