Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

Congestion levels are also increasing. They have reached 2008 levels in recent times. We need to get more out of public transport. Private car journeys need to be reduced, yet the plan unveiled by the Minister in September said that 60% of his capital budget would go on the road network, which supports private transport in the main, not public transport. The Government needs to radically overhaul and prioritise rail transport, particularly in financial terms. Only €3.6 billion is promised for public transport over seven years, of which €2.6 billion will maintain current service provision. It is indisputable that Ireland would not have met the target in place prior to the Paris agreement but to reach the new target of 1.5o, we have to do something different from what the Minister planned in September. I am wondering what that will be because justifying the amount being spent on roads will not do it for us. We will fall far short.

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