I started off against all this.
I’m generally keen to see the Greens in government, but was concerned that the kinds of policy change we wanted to see would be near-impossible in a government twinned with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
Continue reading “Why I’m supporting the Programme for Government”Dublin City’s Green Party councillors have broadly welcomed the city council’s ambitious Interim Mobility Intervention Programme.
The plan includes significant changes to the city centre and for the urban villages around the city, primarily focused on widening footpaths, improving bus priority, and expanding protected cycling infrastructure.
Continue reading “Dublin City’s proposed mobility plan “vital for return to work” – Green councillors”Press release: Motor traffic going through the Phoenix Park should be stopped, according to local Green Party representatives today (Thursday).
The elected representatives are calling on the OPW to prevent private motor traffic from using the park as a thoroughfare, instead only allowing access to park facilities, institutions, and existing parking spaces, which would accommodate those with disabilities or specific accessibility needs.
Continue reading “Stop motor traffic through Phoenix Park, say local Greens”Press release: The ten Green Party members of Dublin City Council will vote in favour of new interim proposals to improve cycling infrastructure on the Liffey Quays.
The vote will take place on Monday evening in City Hall. The Green Party is the second-largest grouping on the council.
Continue reading “Green Party to back interim plan for cycling on Liffey Quays”Planning observation: Developers have applied for planning permission for a new hotel in Kearn’s Place, just off Old Kilmainham.
The site should be developed for housing, which is permitted in the zoning. This proposal seems like a mad idea.
Update: The planning permission was rejected by Dublin City Council, which the developers appealed. An Bord Pleanála upheld the refusal in late November 2020. You can read their decision here.
Here’s the planning observation I submitted against the development:
Continue reading “Why the Kilmainham hotel plan is a bad one”Press release: Dublin city Greens have welcomed An Bord Pleanála’s approval of a medically supervised injection facility in Merchant’s Quay, Dublin 8.
The planning application had been previously rejected by Dublin City Council – a decision strongly criticised by the Greens.
Continue reading “Approval for supervised injection facility “welcome news for Dublin” – Greens”Submission: The government recently launched a public consultation on how they should regulate electric scooters – which are currently illegal. The Greens have been calling for legalisation and regulation for some time.
Here’s what I sent in to the consultation. (“PPTs” is short for “Personal Powered Transport”, which is seemingly the preferred transport policy term for the broad scooter category.)
Continue reading “How we should legalise e-scooters – but not for rent!”Speech: Dublin City Council rejected an application to build a supervised injection facility for those facing drug addiction. The application was for Merchant’s Quay, which I represent.
I think the Council got it wrong. Here’s what I said in a Council debate on the issue:
Dublin City Council can vary the local property tax rate every year, by 15% up or down. Every year they’ve had this power, they have voted to lower it by the maximum amount.
I think that’s a bad idea, as it cuts funds for public services and gives thousands to well-off people and very little (if anything) to others. Here’s my speech on the night of the debate:
Planning observation: Dublin City Council rejected a planning application by a charity to open up a supervised injection facility (SIF) on Merchant’s Quay – the heart of Dublin city centre’s drug problem.
I think the Council got it wrong: a SIF could reduce overdoses, deaths, needle littering, and public injecting. It’s a humane, decent response to an addiction crisis that isn’t going away.
The charity appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála. I was the only local councillor to put in a supportive observation, but we won – Merchant’s Quay Ireland secured planning permission.
Continue reading “Dublin needs a supervised injection facility: my submission to An Bord Pleanála”
