Our climate action targets cannot be met without these large-scale public transport projects
The delay of Metrolink for at least ten years is a catastrophe for the greater Dublin region and means we are almost assured of missing our climate action targets, according to Social Democrats Transport Spokesperson Catherine Murphy.
“The revised Dublin transport plan will see costs more than double and a wholesale dumping of previous deadlines for the delivery of critical infrastructure projects like Metrolink and Dart+. This is a catastrophe for the greater Dublin region.
“Between 1996 and 2016, population increases in the greater Dublin area and the commuter belt were largest in Fingal (41%), Meath (40%) and Kildare (39%). The areas which have the greatest amount of residential development, where people are most car dependent, are the areas that are not reflected in this revised plan.
“We need to get real about this. Our climate action targets cannot be met without these large-scale public transport projects. As it stands, the government is making very dishonest announcements at Cop26 – revealing ambitious targets, with no credible way to reach them.
“It is not tenable to say we will meet our targets by motorists swapping from petrol and diesel cars to electric cars. Over €250 million has been spent on Metrolink and the Dart interconnector without delivery anything.
“You can’t keep expanding the footprint of a city, which has happened in the greater Dublin area, without providing the requisite public transport capacity for people to be able to move around, quickly, at scale.”
“These delays are beyond disappointing. They are an abdication of responsibility by the government.”
9 November, 2021
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