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COUNCILLORS ON A Dublin local authority have voted against providing safe walking and cycling routes for schools as part of their development plan.
Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour and Renua councillors on Fingal Council joined forces to narrowly shoot down a motion which would have included, as an objective in the development plan the provision of safe walking and cycling routes for new schools.
The 2017-2023 Fingal Development Plan sets out the planning and zoning requirements for the local authority area, which is the fastest-growing in Ireland.
Councillors are continuing to hold meetings to decide broader council’s plans for the area for next five years.
The motion, a video of which is available here, proposed by the Green Party, was defeated by 19 votes to 16.
The Government schools cycling policy commits to providing safe cycling and walking routes to schools. Many schools in Fingal are some distance from the pupils’ main residential areas.
The Malahide/Portmarnock Educate Together national school, for example, is in Kinsealy – miles from main population centres like Portmarnock, Malahide or Clongriffin.
Green Party councillor David Healy proposed a motion to commit the the council to acquire and develop foot- and cycle-paths between schools and residential areas when acquiring and developing land for new schools.
At the meeting, Fingal Council Manager Matthew McAleese said they had a difficulty with the motion, especially as it might lead to compulsory purchase orders (CPO) for the creation of cycling routes for the schools. CPOs involves the acquisition of land for public purpose without requiring the consent of the owners.
Mayor Darragh Butler (Fianna Fáil) questioned whether the motion could delay schools “and potentially hold us to hostage in terms of the price we pay”.
Healy said the county’s development plan already provides for CPOs and acquisition of sites for schools on behalf of the Department of Education, and the cycling and footpath routes would be an add-on to that process.
“It’s not something new that we would be doing. The only question is, are we serious in providing safe cycling and walking routes to school, or not? Because at the moment we have a spectacular failure.”
The motion was proposed after safety concerns from Portmarnock Community Association and other community groups in Lusk and Rush.
In September, two young boys were killed while cycling in separate incidents in Louth and Offaly. All told, nine cyclists have lost their lives this year, including two in Dublin.
Twenty-one pedestrians have died so far this year, meanwhile, according to the latest Garda statistics. Yesterday, pupils from St Columba’s school on the North Strand in Dublin called on motorists – and cyclists – to obey red lights outside their school.
Galling
Cllr Natalie Treacy (Sinn Féin) told TheJournal.ie that the motion was a “no-brainer”.
“Why would anyone one vote against it? As a mother I would always put the safety needs of people and especially children to the for fore.”
“It’s a huge surprise that people could vote against something like this,” David Healy told TheJournal.ie. ”Thousands of students will be affected, basically the whole of Fingal.
People were saying it would have interfered with commerce, and people’s ability to do business. But it’s not as if you’re shutting down the entire transport network.
It’s about safety and encouraging active travel, and sustainable ways for getting around. Public transport links to existing and planned schools aren’t great.
The Government’s National Cycle Policy framework states: “We will provide safe cycling routes to all primary and secondary schools and third level colleges by 2020″.
Who voted what
In keeping with this, Healy’s proposed amendment to the development plan stated:
In tandem with identifying and procuring new school sites, plan safe walking and cycling routes to school from the residential areas to be served by the school. Where land must be acquired to provide these routes, work with landowners and relevant parties to acquire or arrange for the necessary land.
The Council’s own planning department opposed the motion, as did Fine Gael (5), Fianna Fáil (5), and two Labour councillors. Six independents and one from Renua also voted against. Sorted by ward, they are:
Sixteen councillors from the Green Party, Anti-Austerity Alliance, Sinn Féin, Social Democrats and several independents supported the motion.
Four councillors were absent: Barry Martin (Ind); Brian Dennehy (FF); Tony Murphy (Ind) and Edmond Lukusa (SF).
Councillor Butler told TheJournal.ie:
If I voted against Councillor Healy’s motion it would have been to support the management and the professional planners who in my mind would have made a better argument as to what could be realistically delivered.
“If the motion was defeated then obviously more councillors agreed with the Council management than with Councillor Healy.”
Youngest population in Ireland
Stretching across north and west county Dublin from Balbriggan, Swords, to Blanchardstown, Castleknock and Santry and Howth head, Fingal has the youngest population in Ireland.
It’s also the fastest growing local authority area in Ireland, growing 8% between the 2011 and 2016 censuses censuses.
The Government’s National Cycle Policy states:
We will provide safe cycling routes to all primary and secondary schools and third level colleges by 2020. An audit will be carried out of every school / routes leading to the school from residential areas.
It says the responsibility for this is with local authorities (ie councils) and the Department of Transport.
Fingal planning department also opposed 30kh speed limits around cycling routes. That motion for 30kph speed limits near schools was nevertheless passed.
Fingal Council management did not comment when asked by TheJournal.ie.
Last night, 27 councillors voted in favour of a separate motion tabled by Councillor Healy, providing for specific cycling routes to certain schools across Fingal.
The motions were to add cycle/pedestrians route between
The Council opposed last night’s motion.
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Remember this only impacts women who do not receive company top ups on their mat leave pay so lowest paid . At an absolute minimum they should have their maternity extended as they can’t go back to their jobs . The gov showed how fast they could move by creating the pandemic payment so they need to address this anomoly.
@Laura Grimes: I agree that this anomaly needs to be addressed immediately as someone who has recently returned from Mat leave. However, it affects more than just low paid workers as those who have been on unpaid leave prior to returning to work will also be disproportionately affected.
@Laura Grimes: no it also affects women whose wages were topped up by their employer during maternity leave because Revenue are only considering the top-up amount and not taking into account the maternity benefit which makes up their total wage. On top of this it affects men on paternity benefit for three weeks over January or February.
I often wonder why the government have to be dragged kicking and screaming to adjudication before they relent and do the right thing, it just wastes more time and money (ours) before they are made to put it right, ..and followed by the usual apologises.
@Honeybee: because they’re just waiting for you to give up and forget about it…
This applies to men as well who were on paternity leave as well as anyone, male or female, who was on reduced or no pay in Jan or Feb 2020.. it is not related to maternity leave or women alone… This is not saying it is just or correct but I hope that men will be treated equally here too…
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Yes for the love of god let’s hope the men are treated equally here, because they always have to end their careers and take on the burden of childcare, it’s society’s most pressing issue today!
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: paternity leave is 6 weeks, so you would have at least one payslip from January or February. Non-issue
@Julian Friesel: What about people who might have been on sick leave, with say a heart attack? It does seem so obviously unjust and I don’t see why anyone would have to bring it to court to get it corrected.
This is discrimination they could just use the last full pay slip they had before they started maternity leave
@Buster Cat: You’re actually on to something there when you think about what you’ve said and the whole Covid19 payment scheme.
Television gives us a window on the world so why hasn’t the Irish Human Rights Commission objected to the laws restricting our right to own a television The government insists that those in direct provision have access to sky tv because government considers access a human right issue
@Richard Russell: What law restricts our right to own a tv, this is a new one to me?????
@Tony Harris: Tony you need a tv licence to own a tv
@Richard Russell: and that is a law that restricts your rights? I see without a tv you are making your own drama!
I came off work for an operation which was cancelled due to the pandemic. I stopped work 2 week before covid payment came in.Im stuck on 203 euro until i can have it. Until then i recieve €239 per week for me and 2 kids. My wife has 2 weeks left on maternity so we will loose out double. Ive worked for years. I Feel robbed.
@james kelly: to clarify i am on sick leave not the dole. Have health insurance but my job are not helping me. Even took my diesel card and toll tag until i come back
@james kelly: That’s wrong too – I’m sure anyone in your situation can do with an equal payment. I hope you get your operation as soon as possible.
And none of these unions TDs etc batted an eyelid when the covid payment wasn’t given to job seekers many who would have had payslips from January and February
have your say