Friends of the Irish Environment v. An Coimisiún Pleanála (Galway Ring Road Planning Decision)

Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has intervened in a planning permission decision under consideration regarding the potential approval of a ring road around the city of Galway. It argues that the proposed Ring Road fundamentally conflicts with national climate objectives.

FIE, relying on the Climate Action Plan 2025 that mandates a 20% reduction in vehicle kilometres travelled and a 50% cut in fossil fuel use in the transport sector, alleges that the Ring Road will facilitate continued growth in private car use and urban sprawl rather than supporting these goals. FIE concerns that the new project will lock in long-term carbon emission. FIE further contends that the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) published by An Coimisiún Pleanála has systemic deficiencies for failing to include mitigation measures, which are necessay under § 15 of the Climate Action Act & Low Carbon Development Act 2015 (as amended), and for the failure to include the assessment of alternatives, required by the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. FIE submits that the plan is inconsistent with the national Climate Action Plans 2024 and 2025, the Carbon Budgets, the Galway County Council and Galway City Council Climate Action Plans, and the EU and international law commitments.