Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I am looking at the amendment worded as follows: "transport infrastructure" is infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, public transport and road traffic. Back in the day, that would have been worded as road traffic, public transport, pedestrians and cyclists. I have nothing in the world against the cyclists. I am very glad of the money that is being spent on cycleways and walkways. It is an addition for our locals and tourists and will be good for the economy, but this is a case of everything going in the way we always said, namely, that too far right is left and too far left is right. If we follow this logic we are all the time putting the cyclists ahead of the road traffic, and quite simply because Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are dancing so much to the Green Party tune being played continuously for them. While many of our roads are falling into total disrepair, we are spending €1 million a day since 2020 on cycleways and walkways. Everything in life is about fairness and balance, but we see road maintenance budgets being cut and no money for the massive road infrastructure we need such as bypasses and relief roads. They are being put on the long finger by the Minister for the environment.

I will repeat it so everybody listening to this will be very clear. What is being said here is that transport infrastructure is infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, public transport and road traffic. The message going out is that road traffic is at the bottom tier. It is bottom of the pyramid. That is totally wrong and, unfortunately, it is a road this Government has continually been taking us down because everybody is afraid of Eamon Ryan, and what he wants, he gets. He got something recently. He said at his conference he was coming to Kerry to take on the Healy-Raes. He tried it anyway and-----

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