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

I very much support the vision for Dublin’s city centre to be a better place to live, work and visit as set out by the advocacy group referred to in the Deputy's question.

That is why I fully support the vision set out by Dublin City Council in their recently published draft Dublin city centre transport plan which was developed in co-operation with the National Transport Authority, NTA.

I believe this new plan can maximise the opportunities presented to the city through the steady reduction in the use of private cars to travelling through, or into, the core city centre. Statistics show that since the first canal cordon count in 2006, the use of the private car in the morning peak had declined by 31% by last year. Some might say Covid was a factor, but in the period between 2006 and 2019, the use of the private car had already declined by 21%.

I firmly believe that we need to reorientate our city's urban streetscape to prioritise people. That means reallocating space so people can walk, shop, cycle, socialise and enjoy the city centre. That does not mean banning all cars or vans from the city centre because we have to provide access. It just means we need to manage traffic better, including reducing through-traffic in the city centre.

The traffic management proposals put forward by the city council strike the right balance between removing through-traffic from the city centre while retaining access for traffic that must access it. We can then seize the opportunity to enhance the public realm in key areas.

I do not believe there is a direct link between abolishing tolls on either the M50 or the East Link and achieving that improved city centre environment. That improved environment requires us to change how we use our streets and how we allocate space on the streets. That will be the better way to deliver an improved city centre.

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