Eamon Ryan

Actually, it's really about getting around a Supreme Court decision that was made last year

which said that the climate law, section 15 of the climate law, had to be respected.

And there was a similar decision, high court decision, in Belfast, again last year, which stalled the A5 roads project because it said, well, it doesn't seem to be climate-proofed.

And the problem I have is, OK, it is an undermining of the climate law.

There's no doubt about it in my mind.

And I think those who voted for it have to answer why if they think they're interested in serious climate action.

But the other thing that really concerns me

This comes just after the Commission Penal has made a decision to go ahead with the Galway Bypass.

And that's a kind of a motorway, which has been many years in the planning, a major road which goes skirts around Galway.

It's like a ring road around Galway.

The only outcome from that, in my mind, is the sprawl of Galway.

And actually, Galway, which is a stunning city, a beautiful city.

I remember being at a conference of Galway in the NUIG a few years ago, and someone said, God, if only we'd built out more Galway when we were building out Galway.

Instead, the way Galway is now going to go, particularly because of this road space development of Galway, is what I would describe as like a Texan town, out-of-town retail stores, kind of urban sprawl, the Galway sprawl.

It doesn't work.

Now they will argue, oh no, it's to free up traffic in the city.

Yes, people who are stuck for hours on end trying to get to and from work.

All those cars that come onto that road have to go somewhere.

And the housing patterns that you get when you go on a roads-based approach is inherently unsustainable.

It doesn't work because it always ends in gridlock.