Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

280 Chapter 11: Environment and Transport 2. Demand for mobility Internationally, cities that have a well-functioning, frequent and reliable transport system tend to be densely populated with mass transport options serving large numbers of people. Ireland has a population density of 72 people per square kilometre, which is 2.5 times less than the European Union (EU) average (World Bank, 2023). The greatest concentration of population is in Dublin city and its suburbs, with almost 25% of the country’s population in that area (CSO, 2023a). Our regional cities (Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) account for just over 9% of the population, whereas 29.5% of the total population lives in rural areas (CSO, 2023a). In Dublin, the high population density leads to a greater demand for public transport and more services being provided than in other areas (CSO, 2023a). This, in turn, increases the share of public transport in total trips taken in Dublin. For example, buses were used for 7.8% of all journeys in Dublin, compared with only 2.7% in areas outside Dublin (CSO, 2022). The OECD assessment of Ireland’s transport systems (OECD, 2022) is outlined in Topic Box 11.1. Topic Box 11.1  OECD assessment of Ireland’s transport system In 2022, the OECD published a comprehensive assessment of Ireland’s transport system and its current trajectory (OECD, 2022). One specific objective was to determine if Ireland was on course to reach its goals to reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector. The report identified that Ireland’s transport system currently encourages car use and is unfit to enable the country’s move to meet its climate goals. The OECD concluded that aiming to decarbonise the transport system via reducing emissions from private vehicles is unlikely to lead to substantially different patterns of behaviour or to achieve the rapid emission reductions needed for climate change mitigation. Three elements were suggested as the source of car dependency and high emissions: induced demand, urban sprawl and the erosion of active and shared transport modes. Policies with high potential include road space reallocation. The report noted that on-demand shared services and communication campaigns to address car-centric mindsets are only being implemented on a small scale in Ireland. Policies to reallocate road space include street redesign and improved management of public space; spatial planning focused on creating proximity; and mainstreaming shared mobility. The study suggested that Ireland is already paving the way for this process by proposing policies to reallocate road space and mainstream on-demand sharing services while increasing awareness of the need to address car-centric mindsets. It recommended better enforcement of planning regulations to ensure that all developments promote settlements with easy access to transport links and include a network of safe walking and cycling routes.