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

I absolutely agree about the consequences of not listening and the need to avail of local knowledge. I am glad the Deputy had a two-hour meeting with the representatives of the NTA. I have been involved in transport campaigning for 30 or 40 years, and in every single instance I can recall where we restricted traffic in some way, there have been valid concerns about what will happen to the neighbouring streets and areas, and people have felt it will not work. I cannot think of a single example where we have reversed such a decision because the fears that some people had were not borne out in the outcome. People do like when there is provision of better public transport. The great attractiveness of some of these projects is not just that they improve the transport system but that they improve the streets and the whole city. That will be the experience in Cork. It is not easy. Change is never easy to deliver and there are understandable fears. However, it is our job as public representatives to make the final decisions, assisted by the NTA, so that we make the leap. It will be a leap to a much more attractive, effective and successful Cork city.

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