Sargent defends plan to review roads programme

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent has described as "distortion" suggestions by Tánaiste Michael McDowell that the party plans to scrap a large number of road developments if it is elected to government.
Speaking at a press conference in Cork yesterday, Mr Sargent said reports that the Greens in government would damage the economy and regional development by not proceeding with the roads programme were based on "false reading" or "non-reading" of party policy.
However, Mr Sargent said the imbalance between road investment and public transport investment had to be addressed urgently.
He insisted increased investment in public transport was vital for a range of economic, social and environmental reasons.
Mr Sargent said the road programme was not going to solve gridlock because planning had allowed Dublin to become the magnet for the country.
"Simply building more roads to get people quicker into the traffic jam around the M50 is not going to solve gridlock.
"An example of that is the M3 coming in from Navan, which will bring traffic more quickly into the M50. Whereas if you have a rail link from Navan into Dublin you don't have the gridlock problem to deal with, and people also get into Dublin without the emissions.
"We do need to make our roads safer, we do need to upgrade our roads, but what we need to do at the same time is have the public transport infrastructure.
"You cannot do everything you want, but you have to give the priority to public transport and we are working responsibly within the money available under Transport 21. Instead of being thanked for being responsible, the Government is trying to distort what we are saying."
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 present Government's plan is to build, widen or upgrade 850km of roads, costing €18 billion, over the next eight years. Greens transport spokesman Eamon Ryan has admitted that, if elected to government, the party would reassess the roads programme.
However, suggestions that the Greens would drop 100 road projects have been described by Mr Ryan as "ludicrous".
Reflecting on the publication of the Government's White Paper on Energy yesterday, Mr Sargent said he feared it was simply another "whitewash" designed to give the impression that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste cared about the environment.
Olivia Kelleher
© 2007 The Irish Times

'A burn it or bury it strategy'

WASTE cannot simply be legislated away, environment minister Dick Roche told Green TD Ciaran Cuffe. Recycling was an issue we must work on, he said, before suggesting use of an energy source to deal with waste.
Mr Cuffe replied: "The Minister means incineration." He accused Mr Roche of hypocrisy and said his attempt to wrap the green flag around him was sullied by his adoption of a 'burn it or bury it' strategy.
© Irish Independen

Greens propose another plannign Quango - just what we need ...

Liam Reid in the Irish Tinmes writes that the Green Party has proposed to establish a new national transport and planning watchdog agency to ensure sustainable development. The body, which would operate independently of Government, would have final approval on county development plans.
It would co-ordinate transport investment with planning policies to ensure that large housing developments are of sufficient density and have access to proper public transport facilities. The proposed agency would also act as a watchdog on local planning applications to ensure that traffic issues are taken into account when approval is being decided.
It would remove the involvement of the Department of the Environment in an effective veto right on county development plans. The proposal was part of an urban development policy launched by the party yesterday.
The party's environment spokesman, Ciarán Cuffe, said: "The legacy of corrupt rezoning has left people without trust in the planning process. Communities continue to suffer from a lack of schools, shopping and sports facilities. A damaged planning system has left people without alternatives to the car, and has generated mistrust amongst the general public."
He added: "More than ever, we need to concentrate development in the right places, rather than allowing developers to call the shots.
"As climate change predictions emphasise the need to limit emissions, we have to give people the option of leaving the car at home. That means building new Luas lines and investing in rail services and planning for new communities within walking distance of public transport."
He said there was also a need to promote a social mix and provide for the needs of children within new developments.
"We're also calling for ministerial guidelines to be issued for high rise developments," he said. "Communities are living in fear that tall buildings will
be built next to them without their consent. Our policy also promotes lower-energy housing so that people's homes cost less to heat, and are easier to maintain."
The Government had proposed a transport and land use agency for the Greater Dublin Area five years ago, but this plan was abandoned in favour of a single transport agency.