Green Party Councillor Niall O Brolchain is calling on the Fianna Fáil organisation in Galway city to "get off the fence" and get behind proposals to introduce a working light rail system to Galway City as "their own Minister for Transport has already publicly nailed his colours to the mast."

Councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin.

Minister Dempsey allocated funding in December for a feasibility study on introducing a light rail system for the city.

However, Fianna Fáil's Cllr Mary Leahy has hit back at Cllr O Brolcháin, saying "he's a Fianna Fáil minister, we're Fianna Fáil councillors and we're not sitting on any fence." According to Cllr Leahy, all three Fianna Fáil councillors in Galway City met Minister Dempsey to lobby him with regard to beginning the feasibility study.

"We would be extremely supportive of the feasibility study being done. I mean, obviously, if it finds Galway is suitable for a light rail system then we're in favour of it but you can't be supportive of something that's not possible," said Cllr Leahy.

Cllr O Brolcháin said yesterday that Galway city's size does not render it ineligible for a light rail system, citing examples of European cities that have populations smaller than that in Galway and run light rail systems.

"A feasibility study into Light Rail for Galway is part of the programme for Government. Based on the evidence that has been presented to me to date, I believe that this study will have a very positive outcome. Such a scheme would have a major impact on the quality of life in Galway and would underpin its character as a model city, a modern European city, a heritage city, a medieval city and a city of arts and culture," stated Cllr O Brolcháin.

However, he called on his fellow local representatives to add their voices to those of other light rail supporters.

"I am concerned however, that some local politicians may not be fully up to speed on the new light rail technology that is available and is currently being put in place in many cities around the world, many of them similar in size and character to Galway.

"Politics is the art of the possible and it is my view that Galway is not the sort of city that should accept second best. It is long past time to put in place radical solutions to Galway's transport problems, which are significantly greater than they should be after so many years of the Celtic Tiger," he said.

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