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

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, was at the national economic dialogue today where he said that the entire Government will have to shift its thinking to act on climate. Will the Minister go to him with these six projects? There is a whole range of different things we could do, but these six greenways would give rise to huge benefits. The Liffey route would be 6 km long between the Phoenix Park and the port. If we got the same increase in capacity that we saw with the canal network, we would have a 50% increase in the numbers cycling and that then would be the dominant mode of transport on the quays and would bring about huge transport benefits.

If we invested a relatively small amount of money in the Santry greenway, we would, using existing parkland resources, connect schools, sports facilities and workplaces. The same applies in respect of the other greenways. These are incredible connecting devices. If we built the Sutton to Sandycove route, which I would extend to Bray and Balbriggan because I think the people of those towns deserve it, that coastal route would be an incredible leisure as well as commuting facility. It would be a huge tourist draw for this city.

These are facilities that benefit those who walk and cycle. We concentrate on the greenways because, more than anything else, they would see Dublin develop as a green city, using the incredible resources that we have, namely, our coast, canals and rivers. Will the Minister prioritise this? Will he go to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and ask for the money for this particular project? At the moment, for all the good talk, there is no money to do it in the timeframe and with the urgency required. Will the Minister push that as a package in the revised capital plan?

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