Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister talks about over-ambitious targets, but we are now at a critical point at which we have to set ambitious and achievable targets. Recognising the time lost, we need a three-year plan for the period to 2020 and it needs to be launched immediately. I recommend that the Minister task the sustainable transport division in his Department to spearhead this plan in the next three years. Most importantly, it should report every six months on progress. It should set out a project plan with deliverables and timelines and a report on our progress in meeting the targets set should be presented in the House. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, might include such a proposal in his draft climate action plan when he addresses the Dáil tomorrow.

We need to realign investment in the transport sector in order to reduce emissions. That means further investment in cycling lanes, rail and bus services. That is another reason I am concerned about the Minister's statements on Bus Éireann and how they have been allowed to hang in the media. The State needs to be full square behind transport solutions that get people out of their cars. Buses are part of that strategy. We need a clear plan for the period to 2020. We can turn the corner, but the Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet need to take the lead. The Minister has an opportunity to be a climate justice champion within his brief and the Government. I ask him to seize it.

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