Paul Murphy urges phase-out of fossil fuels and transport shift
Paul Murphy warned that 2024 was the hottest year on record and that Europe is facing another heat wave, urging an immediate end to pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels. He criticised the government's transport policy as unambitious and unlikely to meet emissions or rail targets, pressing the minister for concrete rail plans and a fares guarantee.
Paul Murphy cited 2024 as the hottest year on record, with temperatures 1.6 degrees above the historical average, and highlighted a new European heat wave that has hospitalised 300 people in France and caused at least two deaths. He said the science demands an urgent stop to adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and that fossil fuels must be phased out as fast as possible.
He noted transport accounted for 21.5% of total emissions in 2023 and that the EPA predicts 21.6% by 2030 under existing measures. He challenged the feasibility of current EV targets, pointing out the target of 560,000 electric vehicles by 2030 while roughly 73,000 are currently on the road, and warned that passenger car numbers rose 178% between 1990 and 2021 while transport emissions more than doubled.
Murphy argued a massive modal shift away from car dependency to public transport and active travel is needed, calling the review target to raise rail's share of passenger journeys from 3% to 6% unambitious. He criticised this government for avoiding the level of public investment required to provide fast, free and frequent public transport, saying policy choices force people into long, car-dependent commutes and that new domestic flights to Derry are being prioritised over rail projects.
He asked which recommendations from the Oil Ireland Strategic Rail Review will be implemented within this government's lifetime, what rail share of passenger journeys will result, and when projects like Metro South West will begin. He also asked whether by 2029 there will be new stations on existing lines in Ballyfermot and Cabra and more trams on the Red Line, and demanded a guarantee that public transport fares will not be increased in the coming budget after a 20% temporary cut in 2022 was retained.
Climate and heat wave
Paul Murphy cited 2024 as the hottest year on record, with temperatures 1.6 degrees above the historical average, and highlighted a new European heat wave that has hospitalised 300 people in France and caused at least two deaths. He said the science demands an urgent stop to adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and that fossil fuels must be phased out as fast as possible.
Transport emissions and electric vehicle targets
He noted transport accounted for 21.5% of total emissions in 2023 and that the EPA predicts 21.6% by 2030 under existing measures. He challenged the feasibility of current EV targets, pointing out the target of 560,000 electric vehicles by 2030 while roughly 73,000 are currently on the road, and warned that passenger car numbers rose 178% between 1990 and 2021 while transport emissions more than doubled.
Modal shift and rail investment criticism
Murphy argued a massive modal shift away from car dependency to public transport and active travel is needed, calling the review target to raise rail's share of passenger journeys from 3% to 6% unambitious. He criticised this government for avoiding the level of public investment required to provide fast, free and frequent public transport, saying policy choices force people into long, car-dependent commutes and that new domestic flights to Derry are being prioritised over rail projects.
Questions to the minister on rail plans and fares
He asked which recommendations from the Oil Ireland Strategic Rail Review will be implemented within this government's lifetime, what rail share of passenger journeys will result, and when projects like Metro South West will begin. He also asked whether by 2029 there will be new stations on existing lines in Ballyfermot and Cabra and more trams on the Red Line, and demanded a guarantee that public transport fares will not be increased in the coming budget after a 20% temporary cut in 2022 was retained.
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Transcript
Minister 2024 was the hottest year on record. Temperatures 1.6 degrees above the historical average. Europe is now in the grip of another heat wave. 300 people have been hospitalised in France. Two have already died from the heat, and they won't be the last, unfortunately, to die this summer across Europe. We urgently need to stop pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels must be completely phased out as fast as possible. That is what the science demands. We know that transport is our second biggest emitting sector in this country, 21.5% of total emissions in 2023. The EPA predicts that this will increase to 21.6% by 2030 with existing measures. But it is doubtful that even those existing measures targets will be reached. It is based on getting 560,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030, and currently they are around 73,000. Between 1990 and 2021, passenger car numbers increased by 178% and transport emissions more than doubled. To reverse this, a massive modal shift away from car dependency, be it fossil-fuelled cars or electric cars, away from car dependency to public transport and active travel. That is what is needed. In light of this, the target in the review to increase the tiny 3% share of rail and passenger journeys to a slightly less tiny 6% is unambitious. Yet this government is unlikely to come even close to that. This government is allergic to public investment on the scale that is needed to provide fast, free and frequent public transport for all. It continues to force more and more people into long, car-dependent commutes because it is the only way that they can find semi-affordable housing. It is greenlighting and subsidising new domestic flights to Derry rather than building the railways that we need. Minister, the Programme for Government promises to act on the recommendations from the Oil Ireland Strategic Rail Review. Can you tell us which of the recommendations will actually be implemented within the lifetime of this Government? What share of rail in passenger journeys will result? When will we see new railway lines like Metro South West? At the very least, will we see simple, obvious things done by 2029, like new train stations on existing lines in Ballyfermot and Cabra and more trams on the Red Line. Another way of encouraging modal shift to public transport is reducing fares. These were cut by 20% in 2022 as a temporary cost of living measure and then kept, just like student fees. So in light of the Government saying that we won't have another cost of living package, are you saying that public transport fees are going to increase just as is threatened in terms of student fees? Can you give a guarantee that public transport fees will not be increased in the coming budget? Thanks. Deputy Coffey.