Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THINGS GOT HEATED between Green TD Neasa Hourigan and Fine Gael Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan on Virgin’s Tonight Show last night, as the two clashed over the Dublin Transport Plan.
The aim of the plan is to reduce congestion in Dublin by diverting through traffic away from the city centre. While it has majority support among councillors, the implementation of the plan falls under the remit of the DCC executive.
The plan has already been approved by the DCC but has faced pushback from groups representing people with disabilities, leading the council to table changes to water down some provisions of the plan.
The row has escalated this week after Minister of State Emer Higgins intervened and said the plan should be delayed, voicing concerns raised by retailers and other business interests in the capital.
Higgins has been accused of “major overreach” by members of the Council and criticised for waiting until now to raise her concerns about the plan, after a public consultation was carried out that found overwhelming public support for it.
Geoghegan said retailers and business owners he and Higgins have spoken to are confused about the plan.
“People aren’t confused because we just did a public consultation and more than 3,000 people submitted to that consultation and overwhelmingly they said, ‘We’re not confused, we want this now’,” said Hourigan.
"All of their concerns were not concerns last year, I'm confused".@neasa_neasa on proposals to postpone the Traffic Plan until at least 2025.#TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/pR5l4Hh9Ib
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) July 1, 2024
Higgins is trying “to subvert the democratic process and side with parking associations”, Hourigan said.
“Minister Higgins did not submit to the public submission even though other Dublin TDs did, and neither did her department. So all of their concerns were not concerns last year? I’m confused.”
Geoghegan said that he is still in favour of the transport plan but defended Higgins’ actions, saying it was part of “a dynamic process”.
“In a dynamic process, where we’re trying to get the city moving again, are you saying that no minister can offer an opinion related to the brief that they represent?” he asked.
He said Higgins was arguing, “Let’s have retailers’ voices heard”.
The plan was approved by councillors in November and public consultations held by Dublin City Council (DCC) also demonstrated support for the plan, but business groups including Ibec have said not enough consideration has been given to the possible negative impacts.
“This is standard ‘we don’t like the outcome so we will question the process ‘ stuff we see in the Council a lot lately,” Green Party councillor Claire Byrne told The Journal.
She said the intervention from Higgins was “bizarre”.
“The time to share concerns over this plan was when it was out for public consultation last October, not coming in after the decision was made.
“Fine Gael supported the Transport Management Plan, the Dublin City Development Plan and Dublin City Climate Action Plan all of which contain objectives to reduce traffic and prioritise public and active transport,” she said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Fair play to the Greens on this.
They got a hammering at the election but they’re now doubling down on the things that matter to their base – people who want livable cities.
And they aren’t pulling punches vs FFG and their big business interests.
People love to give the Greens a hard time and admittedly there have been a lot of problems, however, I feel they’ve been thrown under the bus by this government. Any improvements in infrastructure and liveable city plans have been pushed by the Greens. They were the ones who got funding for outdoor seating during and post covid. The pedestrianisation of Capel Street has made the atmosphere so much better, as has the partial pedestrianisation of Drury Street and Parliament Street to name a few. These areas are thronnged every weekend with people enjoying the space (and spending money in the local shops) and are way, way better than when it was just packed with cars.
@Sylvia Power: first off, hat-tip for the under a communal form of transport reference…. :) And the whole point of this controversy is illustrated by your making it an ‘improvement’. This is far from proven. The traders – employers – in the city don’t think so. And those who have to cross the city whether for work or education or anything else don’t think so either…. there is more to life, and our economy, that half-caff moccachinos….
@John Moylan: Exactly. There is more to life than a deeply congested city center and suburbs that is filled with cars and no room for pedestrians. People will still be able to travel through the city, but ultimately lots of people drive because the public transport is slow and unreliable due to the abundance of cars. Other measures like more buses/trains need to be done in conjunction with this. Loads of other cities have measures like this and are happy with the set up. In a city of 1m+ people it’s just not feasible for everyone to want to park outside a shop front. Other cities have dedicated bus services for people with disabilities and the elderly and we should have them too. Far too many one-person vehicles are travelling into the city center and clogging up public transport.
@Sylvia Power: We have 2024 and most of the bus stops still don’t have a shelter where one can sit down and there is almost no seating in the city. One needs to be able to walk long distances and stand an extended period of time, often 30 + minutes, to use public transport.
@Sylvia Power: what you said about having services for elderly & disabled citizens. Yes we should have them, but we dont and until we do the plan should be postponed. all they are doing is closing off the city centre for them. Cant keep putting the cart before the horse because as everyone knows those services always come last in any considerations!
@Sylvia Power: great push on public transport but total failure on data centres a feasible plan for farmers forestry
@John Reynolds: OK John but in fairness that’s a totally different issue which is important but it’s nothing to do with the transport plan
@Ich: I absolutely agree we need all of those things. But frankly, the private car park owners who are opposing this aren’t proposing those things either, they are thinking only of profit. Actually Greens on a local level are always the only ones in Govt pushing for social spaces and outdoor seating that is suitable for all.
@Helen McKernan: There should be dedicated bus services for elderly people and people with disabilities which go into the city center, like they do in other cities like Riga with great success and a 98% satisfaction rating from citizens. And to be honest, heaps of cars in the city center is hardly very accessibility friendly either. This plan paves the way forward to implement other services which can cater for everyone.
Nothing said about the “trade group” doing all the lobbying been ran by 4 car park owners?
Simon Harris is setting up an inquiry to look into it and judge Judy will chair the inquiry.
Society is an open mental asylum with wealthy megalomaniacs pulling the strings
Hourigan is post on!
I agree that this plan is a good idea and I think it’s despicable that “people with disabilities ” are being used by lobbyists as an excuse for pushback. I really don’t care if the sick children find it difficult to get to Montrose for the Late Late cringe fest!
@Padraig O’Brien: Throw disabled people into the gutter where they belong. Here here! Give up your menial jobs and go on the dole coz your car is gone!
Higgins is looking for cheap PR with an election coming. A political nobody .
Typical Paddy Irish, stop progress at any cost keep Dublin infrastructurally backwards way behind any other European cities, no modern plan just bitter in fighting and procrastination
A complete waste of time coming up with these plans. Dublin city as you know it is to be razed to the ground and a new city built in its place.
There will be no comparison between Dublin of today and Dublin of tomorrow.
All the power and money in the world.
It’s not a gentrification project but an expandable universe project.
Congratulations to the Dubs, ye get to lead the world into the Millennium Kingdom. Enjoy!
@Dan the man. You ought not jump to conclusions, unless you have a rope around your neck.
I am disabled and I drive. I would go along with this plan and I would never throw anyone into the gutter but I resent being used as lobby fodder!
have your say