Every project in the Netherlands has to be compatible with cycling, according to Eoghan O’Brien

Ireland should adopt a Dutch mindset towards urban transport by prioritising cycling and walking, the mayor of Fingal said after a trip to the Netherlands.

Eoghan O’Brien said Ireland needs to “flip our models of transport” on their head.

“Every project we saw in Holland put mobility first. If it’s a new train line, they are looking to make it compatible with people walking or taking their bikes,” he said.

Mr O’Brien, who works as a sales rep as well as a Fianna Fáil councillor, is not your typical cycling campaigner. He spent yesterday driving from north county Dublin to Monaghan, where he was for the day. And with regard to the past 20 years he is frank about how often he used the bicycle