The dream is becoming reality. So great to see this. This is how Cork City Centre can be and should be. Between the two rivers you'll know where we'll meet on Princes Street.
Attended a presentation from Finnish professor who helped define its Housing First policy. He compared Finland with Ireland, countries with similar populations. Ireland doesn't compare well.
I've had a minor accident on my bike this morning. Some cuts and bruises. My face has been somewhat rearranged. Some kind people sat with me as an ambulance I didn't want checked me out. The shock didn't allow me to thank them properly.
Can someone explain why so many car drivers, unaffected by age or disability, have an expectation to park directly outside of where they going? Why such reluctance to walk any kind of distance at all?
Cycle lanes are not being put in place for experienced cyclists. They are more for those who have been frightened off cycling by dangerous traffic, and for those yet to cycle that cycling can be a better alternative to travel.
#OnOurBikes
Average car occupancy is about 1.5 persons per vehicle. Most car journeys involve carrying only the driver and rarely anyone or anything else. Cars are used for the majority of journeys 2km and under. Seriously why do we bother so much with cars?
In Ireland we now have one car for every two persons. Cars that are parked 92% of the time, and which make more than half of the journeys that are 2km and shorter. That's Mad Ted.
We haven't a hope of dealing with the climate crisis while a significant number of people continue to believe that their cars are more important than other people.
The closure today of Cork City Central Library due to the actions of far right fascists is intolerable. This is not the right to protest, it is intimidation with behaviour that is threatening in its intent.
One in five people living in Ireland was born outside of the State. That includes me, my sisters and thousands like us born to Irish emigrant parents. All those who have chosen to make Ireland their home are as Irish as we are.
I'm still convinced that no further drive through facilities should be given planning approval. Nothing that encourages unnecessary car journeys should be encouraged.
Have just been told by a constituent that he would 'knock my block off' for arguing why a cycle lane is a good thing. Must remind myself why I still do this.
I'm a democrat. I believe in diversity of opinion and in encouragement to participate in the electoral process. But tone is important. I'm glad that Ciarán Cuffe's transfers has deprived the ugly discourse of Niall Boylan to prevail.
I don't 'hate' cars. I want to see them used less, create smaller amounts of emissions, but mostly I want to see road space being used more fairly, more democratically, more for the benefit of those whose means of getting about isn't in using cars.
Seeing people here boasting about smuggling 'real' coal from Northern Ireland regardless of the air pollution it causes or the fact that 80% of the heat produced disappears up a chimney. There are better, more efficient ways to heat a house. We have to make that change.
The most tiresome arguments made by those who don't think Ireland has any responsibility to act on climate is that because of our size of population it would make no difference. Per person our carbon emissions are amongst the highest in the World. Morally we must act.
I'm extremely disappointed that
@corkcitycouncil
has granted planning for a sixteen storey office block on the site of the cynically demolished Sextant Bar. The process in obtaining this permission has in my opinion been abused and should be subject to further investigation.
Yesterday, wind met 76% of Irish electricity demand. The high was 84%. Total generation met 106% of demand and averaged a 72%/28% split between wind and all other sources. Wind peaked at 76%.
Racism isn't on the rise in Ireland. It has become emboldened. It is a preoccupation of very small numbers in our society. It has to be challenged. It has to be faced down.
More depressing listening on the Sunday radio shows. The repetition of utter myths as truths. Ireland does not feed the World it does not even feed itself. Most of what we grow we feed to livestock. Our agriculture is lopsided and quite unsustainable.
There are now more than 50 elected Green councillors on the island of Ireland. I can remember a time when we would have been pleased having 50 people at our annual convention.
#GreenWave
Today the UK has passed the COVID-19 totals of Spain and Italy in number of cases, number of deaths and % deaths per million population. Ireland's biggest risk in dealing with COVID is now our nearest neighbour.
Yesterday, while at the Cork Count Centre, my colleague Honor Kagemi, a man possessing far more dignity and kindness than I do, was subjected to harassment and intimidation from a self described 'patriot'. For five minutes he was followed with a smart phone shoved in his face 1/4
Quite possibly the most concerning 10 seconds you will see from
#Coolock
tonight. An unknown adult inciting kids to chant 'Get them out'. This is deeply disturbing.
It's a bank holiday weekend. I have had other things on my mind. There was a note on my windscreen. It was from the owner of an ultra SUV twice the size of my car. It said "Please don't park so close,". I should have replied "Please don't drive a tank,".
I'm hearing a lot of cyclists are just as dangerous as motorists nonsense on the radio today. No they are not. Not in terms of the weight of the vehicles they drive, the speed at which they travel, the impact they have, or in consideration given to other road users.
Remind me again why we need drive through restaurants? Utter traffic chaos in Douglas since the re-opening of one restaurant. Every road gridlocked. Huge deterioration in air quality.
#DrivingIntoTheAbyss
Far from lecturing people Greens have been far too meek and apologetic in calling for and trying to implement urgent measures to deal with the climate emergency. 1/5
The number of new cars registered last year was down 25% according to figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. There were 88,324 cars registered in 2020
I've voted. Green, of course. My habit is to give every candidate a preference. However, on the Ireland South ballot, almost half will not get any preference from me. The hate they want to create has to be challenged.
Cork in Ireland is on the same latitude as Newfoundland in Canada. It's the Gulf Stream that gives us very different winters.
Gulf stream could collapse as early as 2025, study suggests.
Douglas Street parklet is no longer an orphan. Ten new parklets are being announced, four of which will be in the South Central area at Union Quay, Sullivans Quay, South Mall and Wandesford Quay.
The choice to burn smoky coal, illegally, has nothing to do with affordability. It is burned mostly by those who are indifferent to the health and well being of the rest of us.
@CAugustenborg
@Independent_ie
@oconnellhugh
No one who contests an election is a failure. In a democracy we should encourage as many as possible to become candidates. The sneering type of journalism practised by
@oconnellhugh
is a factor in discouraging many from electoral politics.
Great work by my Green Dublin City Council colleague
@CByrneGreen
in bringing about a pocket park in inner city Dublin. Something I've been trying to get done in Cork.
Another Finnish/Irish comparison. The city of Tampere, Finland's second city (similar population to Cork) began construction of its tram system in 2016. It was operating by 2021. They can do this so can we.
My Dad passed away 24 years ago today. He never got to see me become a TD, a Senator or Lord Mayor, but I will cherish always the jig he, my Mam and I did when I was about to be elected a Cork City Councillor. I will always be grateful for the values they gave me.
To my daughter a son. Welcome Jack. He had been very reluctant to come into this uncertain World of ours. He'll be all right though, his exhausted Mom, delighted Dad and two big sisters will help steer a path for…
I am certain that the vast majority of people who voted for The Green Party in the general election want the party to be in government, enacting the policies that we Greens have been asking them to support, over the course of many, many elections.
Things I haven't said in my tweets. 1. All cars should be taken from the roads; 2. People should be forced to cycle all the time; or 3. Everyone has the same transport needs and they can be met in exactly the same way.
Met my first 'Ireland First' type after weeks of knocking at the doors. Bitter, bigoted and bellowing banal blathering, the repetition of which he thought represented argument. Quite a nasty individual. Ignorant and violent in equal measure.
The Environment Policy Committee of Cork City Council, which I chair, has today received a report from our Parks Department that glyphosate will not be used in public amenity areas from January 2022. This will eliminate a huge proportion of its current use.
This bigoted bully thinks his group won the referendum. They didn't. Their hateful views represent a tiny % of those who voted no. The overwhelming number of whom did so for honest, valid, decent reasons. The challenge for most of us is to keep denying the politics of hate. 4/4
On a personal note I want to wish Micheál Martin well on his election as Taoiseach later today. We have lived oddly parallel lives to each other, to different effects. We are of the same parish, went to the same schools, played with the same GAA club.
Delighted to hear that these buildings 118-119 Barrack St. have had an appeal against their being compulsorily purchased by Cork City Council rejected by Bord Pleanala. The first of many I hope. North Main St. next.
Classic RTE reporting on Climate Change. Nine of the eleven paragraphs are on the scaremongering of climate denying TDs. Not a word on why action is necessary.
I grew up in a generation where the sexual ignorance of young people was encouraged, and that ignorance became a factor in the abuse of thousands by establishment figures. Arguing against age appropriate information being available recreates that risk for a new generation.
For the benefit of racist bots, who I know not to be representative but have chosen to infect my timeline in numbers, here is my take on migration. Make of it what you will.
I am the child of Irish emigrants. I was born in the US. I am in favour of migrants coming to Ireland.
I am personally unhappy with this decision. It seems to be there is a huge inconsistency in how we deal with the storage and parking of cars, as opposed to bicycles.
My successor as chair of
@greenparty_ie
@rodericogorman
has been appointed as a government Minister. He will be excellent reforming minister. I should ignore the hate and ignorance he is being exposed to on social media, by those with zero sense of morality. We all should.
Destruction of Otter, Kingfisher & Lamprey habitats on the River Nenagh today. In addition to causing ecological damage, the riverbanks have also been destabilised by these counterproductive
@opwireland
works. Will not prevent flooding - but could increase flood risk downstream.
Cork City Council will be making permanent recent temporary placed pedestrianisation in the city. These include The Marina and 17 city centre streets. All will be every day closed to motor traffic. 5 will be all day. 9 will be closed for 15 hours. 4 will close for 16.5 hours.
The Greens in the European Parliament are campaigning to have an EU ban on glyphosate introduced. In Cork our Council has stopped its use in public places. Sign here for stronger legal action.
Eamon Ryan's election on the first count in Dublin Bay South is the first time that has happened for any Green Party/Comhaontas Glas candidate in a general election.
#GE2020
The decision to increase subvention to greyhound racing is beyond disappointing. This is not an industry it cannot exist without State support. Nor is it a sport. Certainly receiving more support than many participative sports cannot be justified.
I'm going to be blocking intensively from now on. Especially those accounts with random numbers who never want to engage but to be abusive. The naked racism being allowed on here is appalling.
As a former Green Party Dáil whip I feel the length of the suspension given to
@neasa_neasa
is too long and she should be allowed to retain her committee memberships where she does excellent work. I hope a mechanism to appeal these elements exists.
I'm in a car park where traffic flow is signed. An SUV driver goes against the traffic , cuts out in front of traffic exiting correctly. I protest. He stops his car and comes over to mine to tell me I'm a gobshite. Such a charming man who sadly isn't unrepresentative.
In democracy there is onus to listen to every perspective, but the Clare Daly/Mick Wallace analysis on Russia and Ukraine isn't interesting it is perverse.
#RTEThisWeek
I believe that the Office of Public Works is in huge need of reform. It either changes organisationally or it changes its attitudes. Cars don't come before people. Concrete isn't the response needed for flood protection.
#NotFitForPurpose
Another motion I had considered at the Cork City Council meeting was to turn the area in front of Elizabeth Fort into a pedestrianised market area, which it historically was. A monthly licence can be made available, which I will be trying to encourage.
I've been busy muting/blocking far right zealots celebrating the closure of Cork City Library. Ironically, far more of them on Twitter than were physically present in the City Centre today.
175 years ago Frederick Douglass arrived in Ireland, only 7 years after his escape from slavery.
@CBSMMiller
has his story of connecting with a nation's people who supported his cause and now celebrates his legacy.
I should not be surprised, but it is weird to see many on this platform who claim to freedom of speech advocates who demand the right to have books banned from our libraries.
A decision has been made. We can take pride in how the decision was made. It isn't a decision to be celebrated. It is a commitment we make. An opportunity to partake. A responsibility we must take. This will be hard. We need help to make the changes necessary.
#GreensInGovernment
One of favourite memories of my Mam is the opening day of the Dáil after I had been elected a TD. She was in vistors' gallery sat Sabina Higgins and Gerry Adams. "Have you someone here belong to you, Ma'am?" asked Adams. "Dan Boyle," the Mam replied. There ended the conversation.
This is so the wrong approach. The successful development of Cork Docklands depends on these quaysides being re-invented as public space. Reacting like does the opposite.
To achieve our 2030 transport emissions we need to either reduce the number of car journeys by 50%, have 50% less cars, or some combination of both. There are of course other measures. But starting with a stark realisation should be where we make these choices.
I have reported a tweet to Twitter for the first time ever. It accused me of deviancy and illegal behaviour. Something I would have ignored or laughed off in the past, but which is now happening with far too much frequency.
Excellent initiative from the Middle Parish Community Centre using its building to mark the centenary of the infamous Burning of Cork by British forces in December 1920.