The Green Party is “only getting started” when it comes to delivering walking and cycling infrastructure across Ireland, the party’s Deputy Leader has said.

Senator Róisín Garvey was speaking to Newstalk Breakfast after she warned that Irish children are overweight because they “have to be driven everywhere”.

Speaking at the Green Party think-in she said it was “insane” that children in urban areas are being driven short distances to schools due to the lack of active travel infrastructure.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning she said there is a surge in back-to-school traffic each year because parents are still now confident enough to let their children walk and cycle.

“A lot of that is because we don't have the proper infrastructure,” she said.

“I know Eamon Ryan has put money into active travel or infrastructure for walking and cycling and I do see some improvements, but we need to make sure that it's done right so that it's connected and it's done in a way that is user-friendly so that the parents have confidence to allow their children maybe to be able to walk, either with them if they're too young or independently if they're older, like we all did when we were children,” she said.

Walking and cycling

Asked if the Green Party had done enough in terms of cycling infrastructure during its time in government, she said: “No, absolutely not”.

“Are you mad? Sure, it takes about two or three years to get any research done and ecology reports and local impact statements – you've no idea how long everything takes and you want the patience of Jude to get anything done in politics,” she said.

“Everything is complicated and everything takes forever. We're only getting started really, the four years are only making a dent in it.”

Coastal cycling path in Ireland in spring, a female cyclist on the Omeath Carlingford Greenway on the track bed of a former railway line Co Louth.

She said plans for the Ennis to Ennistymon section of the West Clare Greenway are only starting to move forward now adding “we’ve been looking for that for around 12 years”.

“The money is there now and we have the staff in local authorities,” she said.

“We need to make sure we get staff who understand active travel, who aren't just all car users because there's a whole different perspective for somebody who walks or cycles [compared to] somebody who sits inside a metal box.

“A lot of our engineers need to get out of their cars and onto bikes.”

Children's health

Senator Garvey said getting children out walking and cycling is good for their health – both physical and mental.

“The mental health issues for our young people are just gone off the scale you know, who doesn't feel good after a bit of physical movement, whether it's walking and cycling?” she said.

“Instead of having to force teenagers and kids to do these things, it should be something that's built into their natural day.”

The Clare Senator admitted that there is a huge amount of work to be done to encourage girls to cycle as often as boys.

Main image is a file photo of Senator Róisín Garvey on the plinth at Leinster House, 22-03-2021. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

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