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Tadgh McNally reports from Hong Kong
GREEN PARTY LEADER Eamon Ryan has said “transport-led development” could help solve the housing crisis.
Minister Ryan is in Hong Kong today, where he visited the West Kowloon high-speed rail station.
The vast rail complex was constructed by Mass Transit Railway Corporation, which is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong.
The entire area surrounding the West Kowloon station is filled with residential accommodation, which is all centrally owned by MTR Corporation.
Ryan has also met the chair of MTR Corporation Rex Auyeung.
Minister @EamonRyan is in Hong Kong today visiting the West Kowloon high-speed rail station.
— Tadgh McNally (@TadghMcN) March 14, 2023
He's met with the Mass Transit Railway chairman, Rex Auyeung, and toured the massive rail complex. pic.twitter.com/p9OPTLGSyi
Speaking after the tour, Ryan said these “transport-led developments” – if carried out in Ireland – could help solve the housing crisis.
Speaking to The Journal in Hong Kong, Ryan said: “I think what’s really interesting is the concept of transport-led development.
“So you build the rail line first, and then you build the accommodation with it so it helps solve the housing crisis. That’s the model here, where you get the station and then you build over it.”
Ryan said it was good “to see a working example of large scale transport-led development.”
Last September, Transport Infrastructure Ireland today submitted the application to An Bord Pleanála for Dublin’s Metrolink, which has been described as an “ambitious rail megaproject”.
Under current timelines, construction of the MetroLink is earmarked to begin in 2025, with a view to it being in operation in the early 2030s.
Ireland remains one of only a small number of countries in Europe without a metro in its biggest city or a rail connection to its main international airport, making the MetroLink service the first of its kind.
While the “precise” cost of the project is not yet known, the “central” estimate is €9.5 billion, but there is an upper estimate costing with “high inflation and contingencies” that rises to €12.25 billion.
Meanwhile, Ryan told The Journal that a “key thing” for him is the provision of more money for public transport.
An EY Ireland report on Fare Free Public Transport in Ireland, carried out on behalf of the National Transport Authority, claimed “there may be unwanted behavioural issues associated with FFT (Fare Free Travel)”.
“The policy could result in government spending being used to facilitate unnecessary trips,” added the report.
While Ryan told The Journal that he doesn’t think people taking “unnecessary journeys” would be a “big issue”, he said: “The big issue is we want more public transit, we want more frequency, we want more services, more routes, and you have got to pay for that.
“Part of that is the fare revenue. We’ve done a 50% fare cut for those under 24, a 20% cut for everyone, I’m all in favour of lower public transport rates, but you also want more and I think the really big issue is how do we fund more.”
-With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper
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It’s frightening to think that this man is in charge. There are examples all over the planet of that concept. Like Queens Boulevard in NY. They built the train line and then the accommodation. We don’t even have a train from the bloody airport yet!!!
@David Corrigan: Was just about to post the exact same thing, terrifying, has he never been to London?
@David Corrigan: Even more frightening to think that if SF get into power they may get this fool to prop them up for another 5 years. A SF/FF/G coalition is looking very likely.
@Billy Hayes: The way things are going, SF will be a breath of fresh air in government. We can’t continue with the yokes we have in power. It’s simply not working.
@Billy Hayes: Pray to Jesus, Allah, Buddha, that won’t happen. Pity the poor Chinese when Ryan goes into one of his useless monologues.
@David Corrigan: yeah and talking about the Metro for over twenty years.Hard to believe he is in such a position.
@David Corrigan:
Not from Dublin but could someone tell me why they neverlinked the Dart to the airport. It looks like almost open fields between them.
Did he cycle to Hong-Kong?
@Gerard Carey: duh, like ET!
The man lives in cuckoo land
@Brian Boru: Next door neighbour is he?
Wonderful to see our political leaders getting such great ideas from dictatorial communist regimes. Has Eamo addressed how he might deal with situations where someone already owns property, perhaps even a family home, on the preferred path of his railway to nowhere? Not to worry if not, I have no doubt his new buddies in the CCP will have already found efficient ways of dealing with such minor issues.
@Billy Pilgrim: MTR was set up in 1972 before CCP had jurisdiction in Hong Kong
The way to solve the housing crisis is to build more houses
So he didn’t already realise this OK very worrying, who is actually voting for this level of incompetence?
I am sick of politians not talking about real issues .
Our hospitals and schools and prisions are over crowded .
People cant get to see doctors in the community and homelesness is hugh .
Population in a small ireland is expanding and we cant even look after our own
The penny has dropped for the minister. Delighted for him. People have been telling you for years. With respect, your thinking is too narrow, getting cars of the road is dependant on an option of a integrated, reliable, public transport infrastructure, in all our cities. There’s a huge synergy with such an approach. I want our politicians, respective to succeed. Please give us a public transport infrastructure solve our housing problem by doing so.
Give us a vision of a new Ireland !
I think the air in Hong Kong is having a bad effect on Eamo :)
M4 choked until 3 lanes at Spa Hotel. Need to be expanded to 3 lanes to Enfield. What do they do?? But a bus lane in instead . Futile foolery from a person detached from the majority of Irish society
More Cuckoo funds to drive ordinary Joe Soap out. Why change the policies of the last twenty years. General election quick to get rid of the numptys.
This man is delusional.
Could someone lose his ticket back, please
Or! Now this might be crazy, but maybe the government could build houses. Crazy notion i know.
Eamon should ask China to build the Metro in Dublin.
Build up not out.
He is of his head
So everyone’s going to live in a caravan?
That’s about the only high speed train we will ever see in Ireland.
When’s he going to China again ?
@Mark Costello: Think once would be enough for the Chinese. Chances are Ryan will come back with another adviser.
Yet another meaningless soundbite from Eamon Ryan the aspirational environmentalist…
I should suspect we’ll all be living and working in and from trains, come 2040.
Once again the minister is demonstrating his incompetence. True efficient wide ranging public transport can open up more areas to housing. Unfortunately high speed rail is not the solution Ireland needs since it’s main value is to connect existing population and employment hubs like Dublin, Limerick, Cork. The simple fact that no one wants to discuss and accept is that owing a private vehicle in Ireland is a necessity to get to and from work, shopping for food, using other retail services. High speed rail and public transportation are suitable for urbanised countries which Ireland is not and never will be.
“So you build the rail line first, and then you build the accommodation with it so it helps solve the housing crisis.”…. Wow, just wow… I have the 1900′s on the phone for you Eamon?
He is away upswing carbon hope he not the tax payers. Pay thhis
@Anthony Ross: what in the of jayzus are you going on about?
@Anthony Ross: what in the name of jayzus are you going on about?
Yeah let’s invite the vultures to invest in a railway system out into the country side, then gift them rezoned lands to build houses. Then they can gouge people at home and commuting to the coal face to earn the crazy rent money.
‘Could’.
have your say