Council's 'Be Sound' campaign shows authority created 'outright dangerous' shared spaces
Dublin City Council has created "outright dangerous" spaces in an attempt to roll out cycle lanes and shared spaces as fast as possible, it has been claimed.
The council's "Be Sound" campaign encourages cyclists and pedestrians to look out for each other when using roads and pathways, to greenways. The campaign tacitly acknowledges the lack of foresight that's been afforded to proper spatial planning for everyone, according to Fine Gael TD Meave O'Connell.
Deputy O'Connell said the council created impractical and some "outright dangerous" spaces in an attempt to roll out cycle lanes and shared spaces as fast as possible.
Deputy O'Connell said: "Two months ago I called on the Minister for Transport to commence a review of the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets. This document sets out the primary guidelines for local authorities, and rarely gives any consideration to people with visual impairments.
"In their earnestness to roll-out cycle lanes and shared spaces as fast and as widely as possible, local authorities created spaces that are not only impractical, but in places are just outright dangerous. It is ludicrous that in places around our city, older people and those with visual impairments have to step off buses directly onto cycle lanes."
Deputy O'Connell went to say that the council should focus on how its work has impacted some of our most vulnerable road user instead of telling road users to "Be Sound".
Dublin Live has contacted Dublin City Council for comment.
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Irish Examiner
21 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'They are my joy': Meet the children living in Sri Lanka care homes established by Irish volunteers and donations
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Mr Brennan – who was a hotelier at the time - wanted to help, and was able to raise €25,000 with the aid of his community to buy a bus to help move these kids to homes. After visiting Sri Lanka, he ended up ringing the community to say "We should buy land" and ended up building homes for the children who needed it. According to Mr Brennan, there are currently 172 children in the care of the homes. 'I ring them every day,' he said. 'They call me Uncle Brennan, they call Malika amma, and they are my joy. When my mother passed, and she was buried, they were watching it live and keeping in touch. 'And then they had a pizza party later, which is what my mother would have wanted them to have. She was heavily involved with all the work that I was doing in Sri Lanka.' The Wexford-Wicklow TD said the whole goal of these homes is to give these children 'a chance in life'. The Arklow Boys Home The Irish Examiner visited the Arklow Boys Home in May. The children waited patiently as we pulled in. The amma (mother) of the home greeted us with a smile as she took us into the home. One side of the main hall was filled with trophies that the boys had brought home after winning track meets or cricket matches. On the other side of the room the boys gathered around with a few instruments – an accordion, a trumpet and a big drum as they played a rendition of the Irish national anthem. The young boys donned their Wexford GAA jerseys and held their hurleys with pride. Malika, the amma of the house, spoke with pride of the children who have come and gone from the home. 'Some of these boys have been here since they were only a few months old. A lot of the time, these children have a difficult situation at home or are wards of the court,' Malika said. 'Sometimes they have also been witnesses to serious crimes and need a safe place to stay until they can provide their witness statement.' Mr Brennan said: "There is one boy currently living in one of the homes who came in when he was young. He had just witnessed his mother being burned to death by her second partner.' Some of the boys from the Arklow Boys Home wearing their GAA jerseys. 'The boy had never met his father before, and when he came in here first, he did not speak to anyone for six days. 'It was only after the other boys nudged him to play cricket, to have a bit of fun, that he started to speak again and enjoy life. Now, he is doing really well and is excelling.' Mr Brennan said these children have 'gone through a lot'. 'They're getting the best care here, it's not perfect, but by god, they are in a far better position,' he added. Some of these children do not know their own birthdays, but have been given a day they can celebrate as their own. 'I am currently doing my A-Levels,' Tisara* said. 'I would like to come to Ireland at some point and work in tech. But I also love art and would like to become a tattoo artist on the side as well. 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Malika said that the children she has looked after in her years as a caregiver are still in contact with her and still call her amma. 'They bring me great joy, and I am so happy to see them doing really well,' she added. Cork Girls Home A 15-minute drive from the Arklow Boys Home lies the Cork Girls Home, which shares the same grounds as a Catholic convent. Similarly to the boys' home, many of the girls living here do not have a mother or a father; some have guardians, some choose to live in the home. A parents' day ceremony is usually held here once a year, and sometimes some parents do not show up, according to the nun who runs the home, Sister Augustine. A flat rate of 3000 rupees (€8) a month is paid in respect towards each girl. However, sometimes not all of them can give that money. The fee is then put towards the girls' food, any necessary items and board. 'A lot of these girls come from broken families, and they definitely carry on the trauma of that,' Sr Augustine said. 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Irish Times
6 days ago
- Irish Times
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