Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers for coming in. I will speak on transport and the Department's role in transport. They will remember the decision late last year on the Galway ring road, when An Bord Pleanála admitted it had not taken into consideration the 2022 climate action plan. A further glaring omission for me reading the judgment was that it did not mention it was a relevant body under the climate Act. Even apart from the climate action plans, it has obligations it did not take into consideration. We know from the climate action plan that vehicle use in kilometres travelled is to reduce by 20%. What is the Department doing, as the planning Department, to ensure that happens? Bus use in rural Ireland has doubled under this Government but that is not related to this Department. The national planning framework is to be reviewed over the coming year, as set down in the programme for Government. What will the Ministers do to ensure those kilometres travelled reduce by 20%, in terms of advising what changes can be made to the national planning framework?