I move:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) (2022), Redesigning Ireland's Transport for Net Zero: Towards Systems that Work for People and the Planet publication, which highlights that current mobility patterns in Ireland are incompatible with our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, and calls for transformative, systemic change away from car dependency as a matter of urgency;
— the OECD finds, among other findings, that:
— Ireland's efforts to-date to reduce GHG emissions have focused on policies with a low to medium potential to transform the current system;
— Ireland has a car-dependent transport system, and this system is unfit to help the country meet its GHG emission reduction goals for the sector while improving well-being;
— achieving Ireland's ambitious climate target – a 50 per cent reduction in the transport sector GHG emission by 2030 relative to 2018 – requires transformational change in the direction of a low-demand, high-access and low-emission system;
— Ireland has an opportunity to increase the pace and depth of climate action by refocusing its efforts and attention toward the transformative polices and actions identified;
— the key recommendation of the report is that the Irish transport system needs to be redesigned to become sustainable and improve wellbeing and that needs to be clearly communicated;
— the key message of this report is that refocusing efforts toward transformative policies is not restricted to urban areas; and
— the report acknowledges the new Sustainable Mobility Policy also reflects an effort to move away from a car-centric mentality and includes a number of actions that work toward this outcome but notes that current sub-targets are misaligned with the goal of transforming the system;
— a key requirement of the Climate Action Plan 2021 is that, in order to achieve the national climate objective of net zero by 2050, planning policy must work to "reduce demand for travel by car, travel distances and journey times";
— under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, Ireland has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 51 per cent by 2030, relative to 2018 levels;
— the sectoral emissions ceiling for transport, approved by Government in July 2022, sets an emissions reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030, relative to 2018 levels;
— according to Environmental Protection Agency data, in 2021 the transport sector made up 17.7 per cent of Ireland's GHG emissions, compared to 9.3 per cent in 1990;
— Ireland's transport GHG emissions rose by 6.1 per cent in 2021;
— the Climate Change Performance Index 2022 ranked Ireland in 47th place out of 61 with regard to GHG emissions reduction, making it one of just two European Union countries to receive a rating of "very low";
— Ireland declared a climate and biodiversity emergency on 9th May, 2019, becoming only the second country in the world to do so; and
— 92 per cent of the members of the Citizens' Assembly recommended that the State should prioritise the expansion of public transport spending over new road infrastructure, spending at a ratio of no less than 2:1 to facilitate the broader availability and uptake of public transport options with attention to rural areas;
further notes:
— the long-standing traffic congestion problems in Galway;
— the recent statement on behalf of An Bord Pleanála that the Board will not oppose the Order to quash the planning permission for the Galway City Ring Road, and the acknowledgment by the Board that it failed to take into account the Climate Action Plan 2021 when it issued the approval decision in November 2021;
— the decision by Galway County Council to carry out a feasibility study for a new standalone road for Conamara;
— that Galway City Council has launched an application to the European Commission to become a Net Zero Pilot City, whereby, if successful, it would receive funding to implement innovative approaches to carbon reduction over a two-year pilot programme;
— that a review of the Galway Transport Strategy (GTS) is due to commence before the end of 2022;
— that park-and-ride has not yet been rolled out in Galway, despite it being a core objective of the Galway City Development Plan 2005 and of subsequent plans;
— that the current draft National Transport Authority Park and Ride Study for Galway focuses only on the east and north east of the city, with no provision made for the western side;
— the commitment in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future to balanced regional development, particularly in light of the recently launched partnership agreement between Ireland and the European Commission which acknowledges the categorisation of the northern and western regions as "lagging" regions;
— that the National Planning Framework, published in 2019, envisions that Galway's population will grow by at least 50 per cent by 2040; and
— the urgent need for a new vision for transport in Galway to shift from car dependency to sustainable, accessible public transport and active travel;
recognises:
— that the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications has committed to a feasibility assessment of light rail in Galway, but that this is planned as part of the upcoming review of the GTS rather than as a standalone, independent study; and
— the recent comments by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, that a previous target of one million electric cars by 2030 will be revised down in the upcoming Climate Action Plan; and
calls on the Government to:
— develop a transformative new vision for transport that will align with Ireland's transport emissions reduction targets, provide sustainable, accessible public transport and urgently reduce car dependency;
— commit, as part of that transformative vision, to the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor;
— commission an independent, stand-alone feasibility study of light rail, including very light rail, for Galway;
— prioritise the roll-out of park-and-ride in Galway, to cater for commuters from all sides of the city;
— improve local rail infrastructure to enable substantial increases in frequency of rail services; and
— designate Galway as a pilot city for sustainable and accessible public transport.
I understand there is no amendment and that the Government is accepting the motion.