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

To go back to what I was saying earlier, this must come from the bottom up at local level. We cannot supplant local government in making these decisions. The Leas-Chathaoirleach's area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is an example. We happened to have a meeting last week with some of our active travel teams and we were looking at the pathfinder projects. The likes of the decision in Dún Laoghaire to proceed with the Living Streets project was absolutely critical. It was a hard decision. Local government involves some of the hardest decisions. The Leas-Chathaoirleach knows as he has been there. When you have to put up your hand and vote for something and the public gallery behind you does not want you to, it is much harder than in the Seanad or the Dáil where there is just a button and no constituents behind you. However, what I was hearing from our active travel teams is Dún Laoghaire is moving ahead of the pack and starting to make some decisions which are hard but will, I hope, lead to real benefit and progress. I suggest the Leas-Chathaoirleach work with his party colleagues at a local level because they have the ultimate responsibility and it is working. It is starting to happen. It has taken a few years.