IRELAND’S ONLY local authority cycling officer is to lose his job before Christmas, after Dublin City Council was instructed by the Department of the Environment not to fund the position any further.
“I am due to leave next Thursday,” said the council’s cycling officer, Ciarán Fallon. A Facebook campaign has been started by outraged cycling campaigners in an effort to reverse the decision.
FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor. Read more
It is an appalling decision going against progress, against sustainability. Ciaran is a real action man who has had a real influence in making Dublin more cycling friendly. Last October we had successful workshops to raise awareness than cycling improves the quality of health and living on the streets in Dublin. We learned it is a real battle to convince people that cycling in a city is the best way to go around. For that reason, the city needs a cycling officer to inspire and to work on the initiatives to make the city more livable, accessible and healthy. We didn’t make the plans to put them in the drain.
Keep on doing the good work with Ciaran as the cycling officer!
When you put this together with the recent report on the quality of public transport in Dublin, it obliges an active response: cyclists on your bikes for a mass rally outside the Dáil. Ministers, make up the savings out of some of those infamous double pensions that you receive!!
Ciaran Mc Manus
Brussels
Indeed appalling news in these dark days before Xmas. Of course from here in Holland we cannot do much, but I hope that the Irish will take action. I totally agree with Herbert about the value of Ciaran as a key person for the upsurge of Irish cycling. And this idea of cutting funds is crazy if you realize how much money is saved by more cycling. Think back on the mid-70s when massive cyclists demonstrations urged our government to take up bicycling as a serious means of transport.