Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Wynne and Ó Broin.

I welcome the opportunity to address this important issue. Transport will be central to our moving towards a low-carbon economy. Over the past 30 years, the transport sector showed the greatest overall increase in greenhouse gas emissions at 137%, with road transport increasing by 143%. In 2018, transport was responsible for 20% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. Those figures give a sense of the challenge. They are also, in large part, an indictment of the failure of successive Governments to address this challenge properly. It is clear that we cannot afford to continue down the path of emissions increasing year on year. We must take people out of cars by providing alternatives that make sense. The Minister's annual transition document highlights this on page 33, which states that the provision of meaningful alternatives to the private car is central to decarbonising the transport sector. This is true, but it does not mirror the actions of this Government. We must invest in public and active transport.

We have a problem with car dependency across the board. It is compounded by uneven regional development. People who live on the east coast, in Dublin and in the commuter belt areas are acutely aware of the increase in road transport. People in my constituency of Meath East most certainly are. This is due to chronic underfunding of public transport, resulting in it being undesirable. It takes too long. One is sitting in traffic at Blanchardstown, The Halfway House or Glasnevin and it costs too much. We need high speed, high volume bus routes running on quality bus corridors.

We must also invest in rail. Despite being ideally located next to the capital, County Meath does not have a rail line serving the vast majority of the county. Navan is the highest populated town in Ireland that is not served by train. Large urban centres such as Ashbourne, Ratoath and Dunshaughlin would benefit greatly from such a service, as would towns such as Kells and Trim. Without it, thousands of commuters are forced to spend hours in traffic getting to and from work. They prefer the car because it is more bearable. Sinn Féin has consistently highlighted the urgent need for a rail line from Dublin to Navan, which would take thousands of cars off the road each day and bring massive benefits to commuters who could spend less time in traffic and more time with family and friends. Will the Minister give an update on the Navan rail line and its potential to contribute to a low-carbon economy? When will the review of this project be completed and when will the project be funded? This must be part of an ambitious and transformative plan for public transport that serves to reorientate the transport system on the island of Ireland.

We must improve electric car infrastructure and supports. We need to have more people out of cars but we also must recognise that for many people a car will remain a necessity. This is particularly true in rural Ireland, but is not unique to it. Electric cars remain prohibitively expensive for most and the necessary infrastructure such as fast charging points is simply not in place.

Has the Government any plans to make electric cars a more affordable and realistic option for people?

On the issue of rural transport, large areas of my constituency currently rely on the Local Link transport scheme. It is known as Flexibus in counties Meath, Louth and Fingal. Flexibus provides a great bus service to people in rural areas who live off the main transport routes, young people who have no access to public transport and people with disabilities who need accessible transport. It is a vital service that provides connectivity for large parts of rural Meath and for some of our most vulnerable citizens, the old, the sick, and people with disabilities. Unfortunately, despite increasing demand and huge unmet need, its budget has remained static. It is now faced with a funding shortfall which is putting services in jeopardy. Meath Deputies met the NTA on this issue last Friday. Will the Minister engage with the authority on this to ensure funding is made available to secure the future of this environmentally friendly public transport option?

On the issue of private bus operators and taking people out of their cars, the Minister will be aware of the challenges now facing private bus operators who also provide crucial transport connectivity for citizens, including many school transport services. Many of those bus operators have been left to fend for themselves with the Government gambling on whether they can make it through the current crisis. If these services are not protected, it will leave a significant gap in our transport services, forcing people into cars. This is another example of how Government policy states one aim but actually does the opposite. Will the Minister intervene personally on the issue of private bus operators to ensure we have a healthy bus and coach sector post Covid?

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