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

I consider myself part of the system. System change is what we need to address the climate crisis we face. Part of that system change relates to transport. To go back to the earlier question, how do we go from releasing 12 million tonnes of carbon a year to releasing 6 million tonnes? One of the ways to do this is to change the entire transport system towards sustainable modes. The key direction in this is set by the national planning framework. That is the strategic systemic change we need. It talks about balanced regional development, compact development and decarbonisation development. With regard to the transport system helping in that effort, the system will see the reintroduction of rail services on the Foynes line. This will result in services to the port but also in the potential to open stations in the likes of Adare, Patrickswell, Dooradoyle, the Crescent and other locations en route. I agree with the Deputy. The network effect has to look at how we start to reconnect towns to cities using the rail network. That town centres first policy is part of the national planning framework and it is Government policy to back that up. The rail review is not just the system kicking the can down the road.

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