Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach set out some of the resource-efficiency practices that have been put in place in Government Buildings, including through the provision of bicycle parking facilities. That is very welcome but I ask the Taoiseach to use his influence with the OPW, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission and the Ceann Comhairle to ensure cycle-friendly, active-travel-friendly measures are implemented here in Leinster House. For some years now, I and several other cyclists have been trying to get covered bicycle-parking facilities put in place at Leinster House. What we have currently are a few derisory bike racks. There are no covers for those of us who cycle in the rain, who regularly get soaked. There is an embarrassment of cars parked everywhere around the Leinster House campus. I had visitors recently from the British Labour Party. Mr. Peter Kyle, the shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, was here on Monday but a large SUV was parked right in front of the front door of Leinster House. That should be the flagship area. Regularly people, including visiting dignitaries, congregate there to get their photographs taken. It is unacceptable and embarrassing that we still have not got visible, bicycle-friendly parking facilities in our Houses of Parliament, even as we hear from the Taoiseach about the very welcome measures being adopted to ensure better bike-parking facilities in Government Buildings. It is just one small thing but it could make a huge difference in terms of sending out a powerful signal about our ambition to target the catastrophe of climate change and reduce our emissions as a State institution.

See this speech in context