Are Fine Gael trying to steal the Green Party's thunder in becoming the environmental party of choice for Dublin's two-wheeled commuters?
Fine Gael's Dublin spokesman Senator Brian Hayes's latest proposal involves the introduction of a free bike system for Dublin that, he says, would dramatically reduce traffic within Dublin City Centre.
The idea revolves around placing 200 "Smartbikes" in 25 locations around the city. The Smartbike contains two in-built microchips, one of which is a GSM tracking system to deter would be thieves.
Under Fine Gael's suggested system use of the bikes would be free. Each user just has to register to get a magnetic card that unlocks the bicycle.
The idea isn't new. A number of years ago a public-private partnership between Dublin City Council and advertising agency Adshel piloted the idea of running ads on bikes which could then be used by the public free of charge. However the idea was never fully implemented.
One of the main problems facing the introduction of such a system, along with the cost, is the limited cycle lane facilities in the city centre.
The Minister of Transport says he would welcome any system that would help reduce Dublin's traffic congestion.
"My department spent €3.7 million on cycle lanes last year, excluding the extensive work carried out on cycle lanes on Dublin's Quality Bus Corridors. The completion of the Luas scheme and the Dublin Port Tunnel will help to significantly reduce the volume of traffic in the city centre, making it a more cycling friendly environment."