Green Party Condemns Minister O’Brien’s “Climate Surrender”; Demands Immediate Reinstatement of Public Transport Projects

The Green Party has today expressed "profound alarm and fury" following an interview in which the Minister for Transport and Environment, Darragh O’Brien, admitted that Ireland will miss its legally binding 2030 emissions targets, potentially triggering catastrophic EU fines of up to €28 billion.

In a move described by Green Party Climate and Energy spokesperson Ossian Smyth as a "white flag on our future," Minister O’Brien confirmed further delays to shovel-ready public transport projects while offering no concrete plan to close the widening emissions gap. By failing to meet the 2030 targets, Ireland faces a projected fine of €28 billion - money that could have fully funded the entire MetroLink, DART+ expansion, and a national light-rail network twice over.

"To admit we are failing and then offer no plan to get back on track is a dereliction of duty," said Smyth. "We are facing a 'climate fine' that will bankrupt our ability to invest in future generations. The Minister is choosing to pay billions in fines to Europe rather than investing those same billions in Irish commuters."

Green Party Leader, Roderic O’Gorman stated:

“As Climate Minister, Darragh O’Brien is announcing we won’t meet our emissions targets. As Transport Minister, he’s actually part of the problem. The delays to DART+ South-West (now pushed to the 2030s) and Luas Finglas (pushed to 2029), and the apparent cancellation of the reopening of the Wexford-Waterford rail line all come at a time when commuters across the country are facing record congestion."

"Real people are suffering every morning because of these political choices. Parents are losing hours with their children, and workers are stuck in soul-destroying traffic because this Government has chosen to divert funding away from new trains and buses. This is not just a climate failure; it is a failure of basic social infrastructure," concluded Deputy O’Gorman.

The Green Party is calling for:

• Immediate Re-prioritization: Reversing the decision to delay shovel-ready rail projects like DART+ South-West and Luas Finglas.
• Emergency Climate Revision: The immediate publication of a corrective "Plan B" to meet the 2030 targets.
• Restore the 2:1 Funding Split: An immediate return to the policy where €2 is spent on public transport for every €1 spent on new roads