The Independent Ireland councillor, Noel Thomas, has described the contribution of the Green Party to transport infrastructure in the West of Ireland as ‘destructive’ and ‘anti-community’.
Cllr Thomas, who left Fianna Fáil following disagreement with the party over immigration policy, said that the Green Party is decimating communities in the West of Ireland by blocking investment in necessary development.
“I believe that the Green Party has been counterproductive to the wishes of the general community in South Conamara and Galway,” he said. “They have been anti-development, anti-roads and basically anti everything over many years in Government yet we have had no real alternatives put in place. Senator Pauline O Reilly, for example, has been an active opponent of the much-needed Outer Ring Road in Galway.
“She has spoken about ‘re-imagining’ transport solutions in Galway. While Pauline has been imagining these solutions, the people of Galway have had their lives destroyed by sitting in traffic for hours on end. This ‘flowerpot economic strategy’ that Pauline O Reilly and her counterpart in the County Council, Alastair Mckinstry, have engaged in has meant that during their time they have opposed all attempts to find solutions to the infrastructure issues of South Conamara. It is fundamentally anti-community,” he said.
Cllr Thomas said that this has led to journey times for people that would be unacceptable in every other part of the country.
“It has also led to businesses rejecting Galway as a location for much needed jobs. Several companies have told me that they will not even look at South Conamara and Galway as locations for their businesses because of the traffic situation in the city and along the R336.
“Conamara is one the most beautiful places in the world to live and work. Galway is a great city. Both are being destroyed by the lack of progress on much needed infrastructure like the Galway Outer Ring Road and the upgraded R336,” Cllr Thomas said.
“It is time for strong leadership, and I have been honoured to have had the opportunity to help people on so many issues like planning, healthcare, welfare, housing, environment and community grants.”
“Our country is currently being led in the wrong direction by politicians whose policies are fundamentally flawed and against the good of the overall community. This needs to change drastically so that our youth feel that it is worth their while to stay here and work here. We need more favourable decisions on planning for local people who want to build their family homes in the rural parts of Conamara. We need to improve on the roads infrastructure - the Galway City Ring Road and a new road to replace the R336. We need to invest in the necessary services and to promote business and enterprise to help our communities to grow and prosper,” Cllr Thomas concluded.
