Climate Minister Eamon Ryan has said that politicians in Leinster House should get rid of the building’s car park, and turn it instead into a “green space” and extension of the building’s lawn.
The remarks were made this week on Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show while speaking to presenter Claire Brock.
NEWS: Green Party Leader @EamonRyan has told #TonightVMTV he is in favour of getting rid of the car park for politicians at Leinster House. pic.twitter.com/9FD9JxnFGw
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) December 1, 2022
“I’d move it into the multi-storey car park on Molesworth Street,” the Green Party leader said.
“It’s only five minutes’ walk away. And yeah, I think we should lead by example on that sort of project.”
However, he said that it was “a matter for the Oireachtas Commission,” adding that “the Dáil has to decide that collectively.”
When asked if he had put this forward as a formal proposal, he said “I’m doing it here now.”
“Some Dáil deputies or Senators – they do have to drive. They may, for whatever different circumstances they have,” he said, though he said he’d “love to see us make that switch.”
Asked what the car park should be replaced with, he said it could be an “extension of Merrion Square,” and a “green space.”
“That’s what I’d like to see,” he said.
Ryan made headlines in 2019 when he called for a car pooling scheme in rural Ireland, where he said that a village of 300 people could use just 30 cars to function – i.e. one car to every ten families.
“We don’t all need to own a car,” he said at the time.
“Most of our cars are sitting in a car park for 95 per cent of the time. It’s only a short walk down to pick it up. You could cycle down to the local collection point.”
He was challenged by the presenter at the time, who said “On country roads at 8am in the morning, really?”
“There are ways we can do things that are better for the environment and better for our pocket,” he replied, adding “It’s not rocket science.”