Green Party pledges to make Cork Luas a top priority

Leader of the Green Party and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth Roderic O’Gorman has committed to delivering a Cork Luas that will improve people’s quality of life and help to meet carbon emission reduction targets.

Mr O’Gorman officially launched the Green Party general election campaign in Cork yesterday alongside party candidates from each constituency in Cork.

Addressing those present at the launch event, Mr O’Gorman committed to the delivery of a light rail system that will improve people’s quality of life should the Green Party be elected to government.

Mr O’Gorman said the party’s manifesto is centred on public transport and is committing to a €10bn investment in public transport.

“That massive investment in public transport is going to deliver the projects that right now are ready to go,” he said.

“For too long, public transport has been the poor relation of transport investment in this country. The Green Party has changed that. Here in Cork, Eamon [Ryan] has advanced the suburban light rail project, the engineering works. The plans are in place, we just need to make sure the money is available to actually deliver such a major project like that.”

Mr O’Gorman said the Green Party has always asked people to leave the car behind but acknowledged that people can only do that if they are given another option, and committed to the rollout of the suburban rail system from Ballincollig to Mahon and the delivery of the BusConnects programme.

“The plans are in place, but these projects need to be paid for, and right now, when you look at the National Development Plan, there isn’t enough to do what we need to do in Cork. What we need to do in Dublin and Galway and Waterford and Limerick and what we need to do in rural areas all over the country by continuing to roll out Local Link services.

“So, our commitment is, if we’re back as part of the next government, we will ensure €10bn, €7bn from the Apple money and another €3bn taken from the surpluses, and that will be reserved for investment in public transport.

“This will deliver emission reduction targets, but most importantly, it will deliver better quality of life for commuters here in Cork and all over our country, and that’s our central commitment.”

Speaking about the importance of linking the city centre to the suburbs of Cork when delivering on the light rail system, Mr O’Gorman said: “I know from living in Dublin, the benefits that a light rail public transport system like Luas has delivered.

“I know it’s so important that it is linked up because the big mistake when it was first built in Dublin was that the two lines didn’t link and I know a decision has been made recently here in Cork to make sure that it links up to Kent Station, and I think that’s really important in terms of integrating this new Luas line with existing suburban systems.

“There is a real passion for linking the suburbs on both sides of the city but it needs to be paid for, and that’s the question I think every candidate needs to be asked in this election.”