The Green Party wants Cabinet to approve a strategy – just before the general election is called – to reduce traffic congestion by imposing new taxes on road users.

However, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil insist they will not approve the plan drawn up by Transport Minister and former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan before the country goes to the polls.

The row comes amid a growing number of clashes between coalition partners as the election date approaches.

Greens councilor Hazel Chu yesterday criticized Fine Gael’s plan to turn state-owned buildings deemed unsuitable for international protection accommodation into state-run nurseries, calling it ‘crazy’ .

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan criticized Mr Ryan for failing to introduce a €50m refurbishment package for businesses, approved in the Budget two years ago.

Mr O’Sullivan accused Mr Ryan of “dragging his feet” in approving the grant and said it was unacceptable that it had not been signed.

“Budget 2023 committed the €50 million Climate Action Fund to a range of measures such as solar thermal power for hot water and heat pumps. It was designed to support pubs, restaurants and retail,” he said.

“But the funding announced in October 2022 – two years ago – as part of the 2023 budget has not yet been approved by Mr Ryan. It has been on the minister’s desk for some time now, awaiting signature.”

A spokesman for Mr Ryan said the allegation of a delay was “absurd”.

It had already been accepted by the government last spring before being submitted to a public consultation.

In a further escalation of tensions, Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman faced resistance from Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin at their weekly leaders’ meeting when he proposed publishing a strategy transport involving new taxes and tolls for motorists.

At the leaders’ meeting, the Taoiseach declared himself “anti-carbon, but not anti-car” in opposing the project.

Senior sources in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have said they will not approve the plan before the election.

A Fine Gael source said the proposal to release a plan involving new taxes as the country was about to vote was “simply ridiculous”.

“The Greens have a very clear tactic of trying to give the impression that they are the only party putting important things on the agenda,” the source added.

A Fianna Fáil source said the Greens would be “stopped in their tracks” if they continued to push for the strategy to be published before the election.

However, a Green Party source said she would continue to discuss the plan with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste while it was approved by Cabinet.

“The government had already accepted it last spring before submitting it to public consultation. It has only just come back from this process, but apparently there has been very little change from what was previously agreed,” the source added.

Crazy Fine Gael proposal to install childcare centers in buildings that have been turned down for housing asylum seekers

A draft traffic strategy, titled ‘Moving together: a strategic approach to improving the efficiency of Ireland’s transport system’, was published by Mr Ryan in March.

The TD asked the government to approve and publish the final version of the strategy, including timelines for implementing the recommendations.

There was some surprise within Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that the proposal came just two days before the penultimate cabinet meeting before the election was called.

The strategy calls for a review of the current range of taxes and charges applicable to transport, including VRT, car tax, excise, carbon tax, tolls and VAT.

It also recommends introducing road tolls based on the length of a motorist’s journey.

Other proposed measures include a plan for the government to provide options for a “user and polluter pays” approach to transport taxation.

This would involve developing a weight-based approach to taxing cars and heavy goods vehicles through the car tax or VRT.

Meanwhile, Green Party Dublin Bay South general election candidate Ms Chu has criticized Fine Gael’s proposal on social media to open 100 public childcare centers using buildings or land deemed unsuitable for international care centers .

“Crazy proposal from Fine Gael to set up daycare centers in buildings that have been turned down to accommodate asylum seekers,” she wrote on X.

“These buildings were rejected because they were too isolated, too abandoned or too expensive to repair. This seems like a plan concocted overnight. The Greens were the first party to take childcare seriously and used their mandate in government to halve the cost of childcare.

“We will further reduce costs and deploy guaranteed child care spaces in turnkey locations that are convenient for parents, like the State Board of Education and Training network of buildings.”