Environmental Pillar call for Department of Transport to prioritise rail as a way to address climate change

The Environmental Pillar is calling on the Department of Transport to prioritise Ireland’s rail services as a way to address climate change. This comes on the back of a consultation document on transport investment, prepared by the Department, which discusses cutting rail services and ignores government commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Environmental Pillar, which represents 28 environmental NGOs, is calling on the Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe to place sustainable transport at the heart of any new strategy.
The report shows a bias against rail but fails to analyse the climate impact of investment in the road network. It also fails to recognise the Government’s commitment to reducing emissions and the necessary part that the transport sector must play in such a strategy.
Environmental Pillar spokesperson Cillian Lohan said: “The Department of Transport has chosen to disregard Government policy, agreed by Cabinet in April this year, only 5 months ago, committing to 80% reductions in emissions from the energy, transport and built environment sectors by 2050. It has also ignored the analysis done by Irish Rail identifying its investment needs in order to improve and expand its services to provide an efficient low-carbon public transport system. We call on Minister Donohue to bring his Department into the 21st Century.”
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