Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We should be careful about some of the statistics we are hearing at the moment on emissions. My understanding is that the emissions report from EUROSTAT from the fourth quarter of last year is complicated because it includes international aviation metrics. We should wait for the EPA's inventory details, which it typically publishes in July each year. Otherwise we will be confusing people with a range of different statistics that might not give an accurate picture of what is happening. I agree with the Deputy on the WMO report. The risk of us exceeding the 1.5°C temperature increase globally within the next five years is very high and all the consequences of that, including the risk of crossing tipping points, means we have to do everything in every sector to play our part in making the switch.

I also agree with him that the focus needs to be on what can be done in the next two to three years, not just on targets to the end of the decade or later in the century. One of my key jobs is delivering the pathfinder projects that we have in place. There are 35 of them. We launched the fourth one this week. I might give a couple of examples off the top of my head that do not necessarily require a huge financial commitment. They require a political commitment, often at a local government level. There is a proposal in Naas for a pathfinder project to stop through traffic on the main street. There is a very good alternative inner diversion that would allow for traffic heading in different directions and would transform the centre of town. It also has the potential to connect the various active travel projects, greenways and so on, that have been built connecting to Sallins and other areas. The council has to make that decision. If it does not, the funding of some €20-odd million will be and should be reallocated to another project.

I will give another example that might give a certain amount of hope. There is a real requirement for us to revolutionise the transport system in Limerick. The first step has been taken there. As I understand, the council has agreed to the idea of the pathfinder project to link the three universities in the city. There is broad agreement in the council on that although there are some finer details that have to be worked out around how it goes by close to Mary Immaculate College. That is a political decision that we can make now. Again, cost is not a huge issue there. It is about the willingness to reallocate space.

I mentioned Sligo town earlier in response to Deputy Kenny. I will give another example because I just happened to be there last week. There is a really interesting and innovative project there that will connect the university, the hospital and the centre of the town with high-quality cycling infrastructure and a new sustainable bridge across the River Garavogue. It is those sort of projects that could be delivered quickly and that have to be delivered. If there are not deliverable by 2025, they are not going to be done. That is one of the key projects but I could list every one of the 35. If we deliver those, that will show how we can work fast and deliver quickly.