Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There comes a point when language has to mean something. I appreciate the Taoiseach's positive comments. Galway city is a golden opportunity for the Government to make its commitment to climate change a reality. The park-and-ride element of the 2005 development plan has not been acted on. Something is wrong. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has no sense of urgency. There are no park-and-ride facilities. There is no comprehensive programme to lift traffic for schools. There is no feasibility study even though 22,500 people asked for one in 2018. If the Taoiseach is today committing to a basic feasibility study, I welcome it. According to IBEC, that lovely organisation that the Taoiseach so respects, the Government needs to address quality of life and sustainability issues in the west, including Galway city, if Galway is to progress. Mr. Conor Faughnan, then with the AA, stated that traffic in Galway was embarrassingly bad for the city's modest size. He has come out in favour of light rail.

I appeal to the Taoiseach to make words mean something. When the cross-party committee on climate change sat, there was a strong suggestion that Galway would be picked as a pilot project for sustainable development and traffic. Here is the golden opportunity. Déan beart de réir do bhriathar.

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