Green Party proposes Luas lines for Cork and Galway

The Green Party has proposed new Luas lines for Cork and Galway, an extension of Dublin's light rail system and the fast-tracking of a rail link for Navan if it gets into Government after the next general election.

The Greens' transport spokesman Eamon Ryan said the current transport system was "not working" and needed radical change. "The transport system we are looking to switch to would save lives, would clean up our air, improve our economy and make us less dependent on fossil fuels," he said.

In Cork, the Green Party has proposed running a Luas line from Mahon to Ballincollig, through the city centre. The Galway Luas would run from Barna to the city centre and end at Oranmore.

The party proposes a new Dublin Luas line from Rathfarnham to Broadstone and another running from Lucan to the Poolbeg peninsula. It also proposes bringing the Luas to Dublin City University in Glasnevin.

Mr Ryan said the Luas had been a "remarkable success" and several more lines would now be in place if the Green Party had been in Government over the last 10 years.

The light rail plans have been costed at about €2 billion. Mr Ryan said this investment was "significant" but would revitalise Cork and turn around Galway. "I think it's money well spent."

He said work would start immediately on the Navan rail line if his party got into Government. "We have a real choice there still. We have not contracted for the M3, the motorway around the Hill of Tara," he said.

"We either serve it by a main road or by rail . . . a rail system to Navan would work quicker and better for both Dublin and for Navan in the long run."

The party's transport policy sets a target of halving the number of road deaths within its first term of office, and halving average commuting distances. It also aims to reverse the annual 6 per cent increase in oil consumption by about 2 per cent. He said the public had been failed by both the Government and transport economists who had "got it wrong" in their cost-benefit analyses. "They justified spending plans on the basis that journey times would be reduced but failed to understand that new roads would in turn generate more traffic, thereby eroding most of the benefits."

Green leader Trevor Sargent said the Government's method of costing transport plans was narrowly focused.

"They don't take into account the climate change impact, the damage indeed, and the loss of agricultural land. These are costs that need to be taken into account if we are going to make real choices."