Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I was not saying we should be building these networks for climate reasons. Even if there were no climate crisis and it did not exist, the point has been made to me that, notwithstanding the challenges that are very real, as has been acknowledged, for people who are visually impaired, these networks, if done right, can enhance the mobility of people who have issues. They would enable the use of mobility devices such as wheelchairs. We simply do not have these networks in our towns, villages or cities or in between them. Not having them is impacting the ability of people who are dependent on these devices to get around. When those in a wheelchair have to share the space with vehicles such as trucks, buses and cars they are much less likely to want to do so. The point was made that in Ireland many people who are dependent on such devices are essentially prisoners in their own homes because we have not provided this type of infrastructure.