Transport minister Shane Ross has drawn fire from Dublin politicians over a vlog about his new electric car.
The Independent Alliance TD for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown posted a video yesterday showing him charging up his car in Dundrum Village.
"What I'd say to everybody is to consider going electric," he said. "I'd especially like to say this to Eamon Ryan, who is the leader of the Green Party, to dispose of his diesel 2003, and join me and show example to other people in going electric," he said.
Ciarán Cuffe, the Green Party MEP for Dublin, said
"Look, I think this kind of attack-dog politics is inappropriate for a senior minister," he said.
"I'd much rather have Shane Ross focused on making it easier for people to walk and cycle and use public transport rather than going for a shallow attack on my own party leader Eamon Ryan," he said.
But Lord Mayor Paul McAuliffe of Fianna Fáil accused Minister Ross of taking a "cheap shot" at the Green Party leader.
A fairly cheap shot at the leader of the green party. @EamonRyan City Leadership has to be about bringing people on the journey not knocking people off. https://t.co/SF7AQLOOIf
— Paul McAuliffe TD (@PaulMcauliffe) August 16, 2019
Labour's Councillor Allison Gilliland also weighed in, saying the minister would be better to concentrate his efforts on developing public transport.
"Green cars can be very expensive and not everybody can afford them -- even if they might like to be very environmentally friendly," she said. "I would be of the view it would be more in the Minister's interest to invest in clean, green, cheap public transport and safe cycling lanes to enable everybody to have access to green transport."
