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

If the Taoiseach was serious, he would heed the recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly that the spending on transport, which is currently two thirds roads to one third public transport, should be reversed the other way. What the Taoiseach just said might turn into reality, but it is fiction. The Taoiseach constantly accuses other Members of the House of not being up to speed on the brief and of reading out what they have done. The Taoiseach has just read out the public service response to this. There is nothing new or different in it. There is no ambition. I thought the Taoiseach meant what he said on the first day and was going to do something about it. There is nothing happening.

The Taoiseach said this is just an unofficial report but they are experts in the field who are reading what anyone could read, which is that our emissions are rising and that we are in Europe negotiation trying to get lower emissions targets. The Taoiseach is always blaming high targets. It will come home to roost because this is the new, clean industrial revolution that the world is moving towards and we are not. We are selling ourselves as a green nation. We can only do that for so long before the reality catches up with us. The Government needs to change the national planning framework. The mitigation plan is nowhere near good enough. It will be legally challenged and that challenge will be successful because we signed up to Paris and we are doing nothing about it.

The Taoiseach needs to start changing things.

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