CLEO Murphy has again been selected as the Green Party’s candidate for the General Election.
Cleo Murphy, a native of Kenmare, previously contested the General Election in 2020 and received 5.3% of the first preference vote.
Her background is in media, and she worked both as a reporter with The Kingdom newspaper and a newsreader with Radio Kerry. More recently she has worked with Minister Pippa Hackett and as a regional development officer for the Green Party.
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“I’m delighted to have been selected by the members of the Kerry Green Party branch,” she says. “I want to make sure that Ireland’s green transition serves the people of Kerry, improving everyone’s quality of life and protecting the natural environment that gives us all such pride of place.
“It’s vital that we have a strong Green Party presence in the next Dáil and, potentially, the next Government to ensure that the benefits we have brought in for people are not undone. I want to be the Kerry voice in the Green corner of the next Dáil.”
.Anluan Dunne with Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan at Tralee Courthouse earlier this month.
A LOCAL Green Party member has paid tribute to Eamon Ryan who is stepping down as leader of the Green Party.
Ryan is expected to continue as Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Communications when he steps down as leader of the Green Party after a cabinet meeting this morning.
Anluan Dunne, who ran in the Local Elections in the Tralee Local Electoral Area earlier this month, paid tribute to Minister Ryan.
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“It has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work alongside Eamon Ryan,” said Mr Dunne. “He is a man of great empathy, kindness, humanity and mental strength and one of the most positively impactful politicians of our generation.”
“At a personal level, I think Eamon’s unwavering ability to keep going in the face of continual personal abuse and disinformation, much of this originating from this county, has been incredible. He has never been afraid to take the unpopular line and to deliver policies which genuinely benefit the country and its citizens. This unwavering commitment to doing the right thing is what led me, and many others, to enter politics.”
“In his time as leader he has rebuilt this Party, significantly grown the membership, run more candidates for election than ever before and negotiated one of the most people-centric and positive programmes for government in the history of the state.”
“We are now more prepared, experienced and ready to take on the task of securing seats across the country in the next general election and offering a Green choice to the electorate. The future of the Green Party is bright and much of that is down to Eamon Ryan’s positive, human-centric leadership.”
“I wish him the very best in what he chooses to do next, and I thank him as a citizen of Ireland for his contribution to the state. We need more politicians in Ireland with the bravery, commitment and calibre shown by Eamon Ryan.”
A CANDIDATE in the upcoming local elections has called for more public toilet facilities in the Tralee Municipal District.
Green Party candidate Anluan Dunne said the lack of public toilets, seating and access to the town for people with disabilities has continually been pointed to as needed attention from Kerry County Council.
“We have a lack of public facilities, despite recent improvements,” said Mr Dunne. “We have one public toilet in a town of 26,000 people. There are no public toilets in The Spa at all. This is not acceptable.”
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“We recently paid millions to develop the Island of Geese yet no public toilets were provided. There are people in our community for whom the lack of access to public toilets is a major source of stress. We have to do better. While many private businesses are accommodating, there are not enough public facilities and most are difficult to use for people with disabilities.”
Mr Dunne pointed out that Tralee town has one public toilet facility in the town park, but this is closed late in the evening, while the public toilets near Bridge Street on Bill Booley’s Lane have been closed and unavailable for a number of years.
“With recent upgrade of the urban realm, and the Tralee-Fenit Greenway, more benches and bike parking have been provided,” he continued. “Future plans for the town also include a limited amount of additional benches and bike parking.”
“We have some effort being made to provide for people in benches and bike parking. But the level of provision is seriously limited. I commend the Council for implementing the facilities to date, but if you walk from Rock St. to the Bracker O’Regan Road there is nowhere to rest.
“This is a massive issue for people with mobility issues or the elderly. The same is true for people using a bike to get around, to shop local or to get to school or work. The amount of bike parking is far less than is needed in the town. We must address these issues.”
A LOCAL Green Party representative has expressed his deep concern at the recent aggression towards elected representatives.
Anluan Dunne, who is a candidate for the party in the upcoming local elections in the Tralee area, issued a statement after masked men went to the home of Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman to protest against immigration on Thursday evening.
“The increasing targeted aggression towards elected representatives is extremely concerning,” said Anluan Dunne.
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“To see masked men attack my Green Party colleague, Roderic O’Gorman’s house in this way is shocking and I condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms.”
“We have seen a continual increase in harassment and intimidation of politicians and representatives. This must be addressed and stopped. As someone who is running for election in Kerry, I find this deteriorating situation troubling both for myself and my family. No one doing their job should be treated in this manner.”
“I am also deeply concerned at reports of a lack of action from Gardaí in tackling what is clearly antisocial behaviour and a potential breach of the peace. We need thuggery of this sort addressed swiftly and comprehensively,” he said.
.A proposed walkway will run along the coastline from Cockleshell to the Spa.
THE proposed Cockleshell Road to the Spa walkway is to receive €300,000 as part of a €10.5m funding package for Kerry greenways.
The Government announced today that the South Kerry Greenway will receive €8.4m of the funding, with the balance being distributed across the other projects including Cockleshell to Spa at €300,000, €650,000 for improvements to the Tralee to Fenit Greenway and €500,000 for Listowel to Limerick.
Projects which are at the earlier stages of delivery are Tralee to Listowel which received €300,000 and the assessment for North-South connectivity which was allocated €50,000.
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Cllrs approved the Cockleshell Road to The Spa project in January 2022 and €400,000 was allocated by the Government for the project in February 2023. However, construction on the project has yet to begin.
Welcoming the news, Minister for Education and Kerry Fianna Fáil TD Norma Foley said: “I welcome today’s significant funding allocation of over €25 million which is hugely important for roads and greenways across Kerry. Today’s announcement is part of the Government’s investment in improving our national roads and greenways infrastructure. It will help ensure that our roads and greenways are safe, reliable and accessible for everyone who uses them.”
Green Party Local Election Candidate in Tralee, Anluan Dunne said: “This reflects the success of both the Tralee-Fenit and Listowel-Limerick routes. In addition to being a new transport route, these greenways also have significant amenity value and provide a sustainable tourism offering helping to drive the rural economy.”
Mr. Dunne continued: “The Cockleshell to Spa Greenway will connect the North Kerry Way to the Tralee-Fenit Greenway and will be a huge benefit to the communities along the route as it provides a safe connection to Tralee.”
FOUR new bus services for the Tralee area have been announced as part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for 2023 launched today by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD.
There are 67 new or enhanced Connecting Ireland bus services proposed, strengthening existing services and connecting more towns and townlands across the state.
The Tralee area will have four new bus services: Castlegregory to Fenit via Tralee, Tarbert to Tralee, Tralee to Ballybunion and an additional Tralee to Killarney commuter bus.
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Welcoming the news, Anluan Dunne, Green Party Representative for the Tralee Area said: “This is fantastic news for Kerry and in particular the Tralee area where we will have four new bus services. This is Green Party policy in action and will provide much needed, low cost, transport options for across Kerry.
“This is a massive scaling up of rural public transportand these buses are a genuine alternative to driving. I’m pushing hard for increased frequency on all of these services and for electric town buses in Tralee and Killarney.”
These services are provided on behalf of the NTA by 15 TFI Local Link offices nationwide.
Below is the list of proposed new and enhanced routes under the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for 2023 in Kerry:
THE Green Party representative for the Tralee area is encouraging people to take up the latest expansion of the Cycle to Work Scheme which now includes a higher payment of €3,000 for eCargo bikes.
This is the second time the scheme has being expanded by the government and the first time cargo bikes have been specifically included.
Anluan Dunne, Green Party Representative for the Tralee area has his own eCargo bike and uses it daily for a number of purposes.
“The newly expanded cycle to work scheme provides a welcome support to individuals and families who are seeking to reduce transport costs, shorten journey times and generally make getting around easier and more affordable,” he said.
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“As a cargo bike owner myself, I have seen first hand the positive impact to my finances. No fuel cost, no tax, no insurance and importantly, no negative impact to how we get around as a family. This is a real, tangible, cost of living measure.”
“It’s a game changer for families or people who may use a second car, at enormous cost, to take short trips in their locality such as getting kids to school, doing the shopping, getting to work or a combination of these things. The average car costs in the region of €10,000 per year and that can be a huge burden on people. A cargo bike reduces their transport cost to a fraction of that.”
Under the scheme, which can be reapplied to every four years, an individual can get tax relief on a variety of bicycle types. Standard bicycles benefit up to €1,250, e-bikes up to €1,500 and now electric cargo bikes up to the higher sum of €3,000.
This measure is designed to address the fact that cargo bikes are considerably more expensive than conventional bikes.
Anluan Dunne continued: “One of the major benefits to these bikes is the consistent journey times and ease of access that cycling provides. You are stuck in traffic less, it’s never a problem to find parking and you can really shop locally. More people cycling will result in more people shopping locally and shopping more often.”
“My kids love it too as it’s loads of fun. They are awake and connected with their town and community as we cycle to school, to town, to weekend activities or over to visit grandparents. It’s also a great benefit to me as I can maintain fitness, get out in the fresh air, or chat to people along my journeys.”
GREEN Party representatives in Kerry have criticised Kerry County Council for a lack of action on walking and cycling infrastructure.
Figures released by the National Transport Authority (NTA) have revealed that only 17.8% of funding made available for walking and cycling infrastructure in Kerry was spent in 2021.
“In Kerry, our local authority was allocated €5.6m for walking and cycling projects in the county for the year 2021,” said Anluan Dunne, Green Party Representative for Tralee.
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“However, according to figures released by the NTA, only €1m of this was spent. Specifically in Tralee, no progress has been made despite the enormous amount of money available. Where is the active travel network plan? €500k was allocated for that alone. Where is the Bracker O’Regan Road cycle scheme? €800k was allocated for that project.
“The average monthly spend on petrol and diesel now exceeds €180. If people feel it is unsafe or inconvenient to walk or cycle they will continue to be forced into cars at huge cost to them. It is down to the Council to make it safer and easier and they aren’t doing enough – it’s as simple as that,” he added.
“It’s really disheartening to see money being allocated by Government and not being used at local level,” said Cleo Murphy, Green Party representative for the Kenmare area.
“The Green Party has secured funding for measures such as cycle paths and improved footpaths and these are not being delivered by Kerry County Council. Clearly, we need Green Party representation on the Council to get these improvements implemented.”
In the past week, Green Party representatives have written to the Council to seek an explanation.
Dingle representative, Dr. Peadar Ó Fionnáin, has been told the query has been escalated to senior management in KCC.
Diarmaid Griffin, Killarney representative, has received a reply to his query with the Council stating that they have in fact spent €6.1m in 2021 on Active Travel and Greenway Projects. The Council also refer to Covid as having had an impact on their ability to deliver more projects.
“The lack of priority is the issue here. I don’t doubt that the Council are committed to greenways,” said Anluan Dunne. “But the treatment of walking and cycling as a pastime or hobby, rather than a mode of transport, seems to be a major problem. People should call their councillors and TDs and make it clear that they want the Council to deliver.”
.Green Party Tralee representative Anluan Dunne welcomes the Town Centres First strategy .
THE Tralee Area Green Party representative has welcomed the launch of the national ‘Town Centre First’ policy and especially a new appointment Kerry County Council as a result of the strategy.
Launched today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, the Minister for Planning and Local Government, Peter Burke TD, and the Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, the policy is billed as a major new strategy to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres.
Anluan Dunne, Tralee Area Representative pointed to the appointment of Town Regeneration Officers as a positive step.
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“I’m delighted to see that a Town Regeneration Officer will be appointed to Kerry County Council to help train and support a ‘Town Team’, made up of local stakeholders such as residents, businesses and community groups, to develop a ‘Town Centre First plan for towns like Tralee, and to know that our local authority staff will be on hand to support this work.”
“The ‘one-stop-shop approach in Local Authorities will make it easy for businesses and residents to access supports for building adaptations and renovations, and much like Tidy Towns, the awards programme for Town Teams will really help to incentivise people to get on board. Meetings have already taken place on creating a town team in Tralee and I look forward to supporting that work.”
Town Centre First contains 33 actions which aims to give towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable and attractive places in which to live, work, visit and run a business.
The policy is underpinned by multi-billion euro investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
AN online portal for people to express their view on the future of the courthouse building on Ashe Street has been set up.
The Green Party Chairperson in Kerry, Anluan Dunne, has set up the portal in the hopes that people will share their views.
The Courts Service has expressed their wish that a new courthouse be built in the town, rather than invest in renovating the current building.
“The people of the town are not being heard on this matter,” said Mr Dunne, who is also the party’s Tralee representative.
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“To address this, I have created an online portal for people to express their opinion, the result of which I will publish on social media in October. I encourage the people of Tralee to share their views. The portal can be accessed at the following link until the 1st of October at 5PM http://anluan.ie/courthouse.”
“This is not a political issue, and it should not be seen as such. We must all work together to maintain our town’s heritage. Abandonment is not a viable option,” he added.
The Green Party Chairperson in Kerry said he has been working behind the scenes to have Tralee Courthouse re-assessed by the Department of Heritage to continue its use by the Courts Service.
Following regular contact with Minister Malcolm Noonan, Mr Dunne pushed for the Department of Heritage to look again at the building.
Mr Dunne said: “It is my understanding that Minister for Heritage Malcolm Noonan is of the view that Tralee Courthouse is a significant heritage building of importance to the town centre. He asked that the department would form an opinion on it and how it might be adapted as a modern court building as has been done in other locations. He visited the courthouse a few weeks ago in an informal capacity and said that it was a really impressive building to have in the heart of an Irish town.”
“It is unacceptable that we are asking private property owners to maintain and regenerate our town centre buildings while the Courts Service and County Council are effectively abandoning one of the most impressive heritage buildings in the town. I do not accept that it is not possible to reuse the existing building as I know we have the architectural talent in Ireland to produce a solution,” concluded Mr Dunne.
ANNE-MARIE Fuller has stepped down as the Green Party representative for the Tralee Local Electoral Area (LEA) to take on the role of chairperson of the Kerry Sustainable Energy Co-op.
She has been the Green Party’s Tralee representative since the 2019 local elections when she polled in eighth place in the seven-seater LEA.
The Tralee group of the Green Party’s Kerry branch met on Wednesday last to select a new representative and Anluan Dunne was chosen as the new Green representative for the Tralee LEA. Mr Dunne is currently serving as chairperson of the Green Party in Kerry.
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Ms. Fuller said: “ I have enjoyed and felt privileged being the Green Party rep for Tralee,” said I very recently took on the role of chairperson of Kerry Sustainable Energy Cooperative (KSEC) and after much consideration decided to step down as Tralee Green Party rep in order to focus on my work with KSEC.
“The Kerry Greens are a great team, and I will continue to contribute and support them representing Green ideas, ideals and approaches in Kerry and particularly anything with regard the Tralee area. When the time comes, it is very much my intention to put my name forward for selection as the Green Party candidate for Tralee in the 2024 local elections”.
Anluan Dunne
Following his selection, Mr Dunne said: “I am delighted to have been chosen as the new Tralee LEA representative for the Party. Anne-Marie has been a dedicated, vocal and highly effective representative for the Green Party in Kerry. She secured an excellent vote in the last local election and has been active in the community since. I plan on building on that success and continue to advocate for the changes which will improve our towns, villages and countryside.”.
“I plan on continuing in my role as chairperson in addition to this new role until our branch AGM in December,” he added.
PAVEMENT plans for Tralee don’t make sufficient accommodation for outdoor seating, elderly people, cyclists, families or those with mobility impairment, according to the Green Party’s Kerry branch.
In a detailed submission to the Council, they have made 12 specific recommendations (detailed below) and called for the plans to be reviewed.
The Council is proposing to carry out a number of works on roads and pavements in the town centre. The proposal includes a combination of pavement finishes and levels. Road widths are being reduced to slow traffic movements and footpaths widths are being increased to enhance pedestrian safety. The plans went out for public consultation and the deadline for submissions was last Friday.
“We welcome the overall goal of the scheme to enhance our town and believe that our recommended amendments to the plans will significantly enhance the works,” said Anne-Marie Fuller of the Green Party.
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The Green Party submission highlighted deviations from local and county development planning and drew attention to best-practice manuals such as the National Cycling Manual (NCM) and the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS).
“We had hoped that the application of this funding would be used to create a safe environment to allow people to cycle into the town or through the town,” said Ms Fuller.
“While this may be a scheme of works to enhance pavements, the proposed work does not take into account any future cycle friendly routes or plans for the town.”
The submission also observed that the trees proposed are in boxes which, Ms Fuller says, severely reduces their vibrancy, health and lifespan, amenity value and adds to maintenance overheads.
The Kerry Greens recommend that the trees be planted directly in the ground to ensure that the full benefits of the trees can be realised.
“We recommend that the current plans be reviewed and elements of the scheme be re-designed to make accommodation for significantly improved cycling infrastructure, better accommodation for elderly, mobility impaired people and families,” said Ms. Fuller
The Green Party’s specific recommendations are…
• Vehicle traffic which can currently traverse the town should be diverted to ring roads and not permitted through the town. This was identified in the Tralee Transportation Strategy of 2012
• The scheme should take more account of people with limited mobility and the elderly by providing significantly more seating throughout
• Trees should be surface planted, not in boxes and be native species where possible
• The scheme should remove the majority of on-street parking with the exception of limited mobility parking (blue bays) to create space for protected cycle lanes and wider footpaths
• A significant increase in standard bicycle parking (Sheffield Stands) and non-standard bicycle parking (cargo bike, disability trike, bicycle trailers) provided throughout
• All vehicle turning lanes should be removed with the reclaimed space used to provide segregated cycling infrastructure or additional pedestrian space
• Lower Castle Street should be one-way and the street converted to a shared space similar to The Mall. At present businesses on this street are dying as they are cut off from the rest of the town by a wide roadway
• Lower Rock Street should be similarly made one way with southbound traffic directed up Pembrooke Street with a contraflow cycle lane on Rock St. A similar design to the Mall would also enhance this street with the historic Brogue Inn at its core
• Staughton’s Row should have segregated cycling lanes installed on both sides of the road and the junctions at both ends of the street should prioritise bicycle traffic. The use of an improperly design ASL will frustrate both motorists and cyclists
• New Road should have all on-street parking removed and the cycle lane from Staughton’s Row should continue, segregated, as far as Bridge Lane
• The controlled crossing point at New Road, Bridge Lane, Island of Geese should be changed to a zebra or informal crossing from a signal controlled crossing
• The design of the scheme does not incorporate a cycle exit for Barrack Lane onto Denny Street. This laneway should form part of a broader cycle network and the design as proposed will prevent the laneway from serving this purpose
.Green Party representative for Tralee Anne-Marie Fuller and artist Ciara McKenna pictured with Ciara’s mural of the curlew, celebrating World Wildlife Day on 3 March.
THE Green Party in Kerry is celebrating UN World Wildlife Day by commissioning a new mural in Tralee of the iconic curlew by artist, Ciara McKenna.
World Wildlife Day takes place on March 3. It celebrates and raises awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
The mural, which is situated at the Tralee end of the Tralee – Fenit Greenway, depicts a curlew in its natural habitat.
In Ireland, the curlew is among our native species under critical threat of extinction, with a 97% decline of breeding Curlew seen since the 1980s.
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By raising awareness of what is happening in our natural environment and taking the right actions, these trends can be reversed.
Green Party representative for Tralee, Anne-Marie Fuller, said: “The mural highlights that we are connected to wildlife. It is on our doorstep, in our gardens, in our parks, on the verges of walkways, cycleways and roads. And it is often on the verges where different habitats meet, that biodiversity flourishes. For example, our hedgerows can be seen as the equivalent of the Amazon forest for wildlife here in Ireland. It is vital that we look after all habitats and ensure that there are wildlife corridors to connect them so that we sustain all life here in Ireland.”
Kerry artist Ciara McKenna said: “I remember when I was a kid, seabirds used to take refuge from storms in a field behind my parents’ house, you don’t see that so much anymore.
“You don’t have to look to Africa, Asia, South America or any other exotic places to note the depletion of wildlife in our times. Birds and animals on our doorstep are at the verge of extinction. This piece shows the curlew. It is taking refuge in an urban landscape to weather out the storm it faces, which is extinction.”
In January of this year, Green Party Ministers Pippa Hackett and Malcolm Noonan TD combined, along with their respective departments, to drive forward plans to conserve the iconic curlew.
The Ministers announced that the recruitment of 30 contractors to work with the Curlew Conservation Programme around the country would start immediately.
The Curlew Conservation Programme is primarily run and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which is under Minister Noonan’s remit, but an extra injection of money from Minister Hackett’s Department of Agriculture has enabled the field officers to be put in place earlier in the year than would otherwise have been the case.
The Curlew Conservation Programme, which finds and supports Curlew to rear their young chicks is now in its fifth season.
It was established by the National Parks & Wildlife Service in 2017, with the Department of Agriculture coming on board as partners in 2020. The joint funding package this year will amount to €500,000.
SPEED limit bye-laws in Kerry should be fully implemented as soon as possible, according Anluan Dunne, chairperson of the Kerry branch of the Green Party.
The speed limit review was finalised in early 2019 but two years on the bye-laws enacting 30 km/h limits are still not completely enacted in Tralee and Killarney town centres.
“To create safer town centres Kerry County Council took the proactive step of reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h,” says Mr. Dunne. “We now need to see the signs go up and road stencilling completed to advise motorists of the lower, safer, speed limit.”
Mr Dunne has asked the Gardaí to enforce lower speed limits when resources allowed. “We need to see high-visibility policing of lower speed limits to tackle anti-social vehicle use and reduce fatalities and make our streets welcoming again,” he added.
A NEW chairperson of the Kerry branch of the Green Party has been appointed at its recent AGM.
Cycling and community activist, Anluan Dunne from Tralee said he is delighted to take on the role.
“The party is at its greatest strength at both national level – with 12 TDs and four senators – and at branch level. Our local membership has trebled in the last two years and we have a team of energetic local area representatives who are active in their communities,” he said.
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“I sought this opportunity to become involved in politics to tackle issues in my community. Whether environmental, social or economic I have a determined interest in bettering my county. I’ve lived across Kerry, from The Spa, to Cloghane, Ventry and now living the urban life in Tralee.
“My hope is that I can help the party communicate its goals and policies to the people of Kerry and demonstrate that we are an organisation who want to see rural Ireland succeed, grow and sustain itself.”
Mr Dunne, an executive with a global IT services company located in the Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, is a member of the Kerry Public Participation Network secretariat, sits on the Joint Policing Committee, the board of Tralee Tidy Towns as well as being an active member of the Kerry Cycling Campaign and founder of community group Mountain Biking Kerry.
Most recently he was appointed to the executive committee of the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network, Cyclist.ie.
“Anluan has brought great energy to the branch,” says Cleo Murphy, the Green Party’s general election candidate in 2020. “He has a young family and a clear sense for the need to protect their future. He’s determined to bring the Green vision to Kerry.”
THE Green Party Tralee representative has called for safe cycling routes on roundabouts after a young girl was knocked off her bike in a hit and run incident last week.
Anne-Marie Fuller was speaking after the incident last Thursday evening where the girl received minor injuries after she was hit by a car at Ballymullen roundabout. Gardaí are investigating the incident.
“My heart goes out to that young girl, thankfully she did not suffer very serious physical injuries, but it is still a shocking experience to go through,” said Ms Fuller.
“This accident highlights that we need to take cycling seriously in Kerry and protect people who chose to make their journeys by bike. I’m aware of another incident at the roundabout by the Aqua Dome where a cyclist was knocked down and ended up in hospital,” she added.
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“Roundabouts can be designed with an outer cycle path to ensure cycle safety and efficiency. This is how they do it in Holland where bike travel is taken seriously. We should take a critical look at how we have designed our roads and streets and why they are unsafe for people walking or cycling.”
Ms. Fuller, who regularly cycles with her children, is also reiterating her call to have a cycle officer appointed by Kerry County Council.
“The Programme for Government promised that every local authority adopts a high-quality cycling policy with the help of a suitably qualified Cycling Officer. Such a person should be working with the National Transport Authority to ensure that roads and roundabouts take cyclists into consideration.
“An accident like the one at Ballymullen Roundabout is completely avoidable. The design only suits cars and encourages high speed. At a time when we are trying to encourage people out of their cars and toward active travel it is unacceptable that design like this is allowed to persist. We need to see a serious commitment by Kerry County Council to develop a network of connected cycling routes which are segregated from motor traffic. The next accident could have far more serious consequences.”
“What cyclists also need to that there is an expectation by motorists that they will meet cyclists on the road and drive accordingly. Cyclists are someone’s daughter or son, they could be someone’s mother or father, let’s keep that in mind when we’re on the road,” she said.
A GREEN party representative for Tralee has sincerely welcomed the Green Party’s vote to support the programme for government.
Anne-Marie Fuller, who ran in the local elections in the Tralee Municipal District last year, believes it proposes to deliver on the key priorities of her local election campaign last year and to help transform Tralee based on climate action that is good for people and the planet.
Ms Fuller said that when she decided to stand in the local elections last year it was because she felt that elected officials did not really understand the gravity and urgency of the climate and biodiversity emergency.
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She feels that has now changed, as the programme for government commits to an average 7 % per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030.
Ms Fuller believes that important in the programme for government is the symbolic full withdrawal of government support for fossil fuel exploration off the coast of Ireland and the Shannon LNG project.
She said that during her campaign she wanted to highlight that climate action, if done in the right way, can help local economies to thrive, help connect communities and improve their wellbeing.
She points out the Town Centre First approach included in the programme for government by the Greens aims to create vibrant town centres by encouraging people back into living in town centres and bringing vacant buildings back into use.
The programme for government includes the implementation of a major waste and circular economy action plan. Including introducing a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans, actions to reduce plastic packaging and examining the potential for a municipal compost system for biodegradable packaging.
She welcomes the fact that the roads budgets has been increased to include a committed extra €1 million a day for cycling and walking infrastructure.
She says public transport options are set to improve by a commitment to treble the number of passengers Local Link carries under this programme for government and that this means better services connecting people who live in the countryside to Tralee and to our national bus and rail services.
Ms Fuller also points out that the programme for government promotes Recreational Tourism, a new type of active, outdoor tourism that will encourage people to visit and stay in Kerry and importantly enhance the leisure options of people living locally.
She admits that the programme for government is not perfect, but she says overall the programme for government is a good ‘Green New Deal’ for rural townlands like Tralee.
PLANS to create more space for pedestrians in town centres in Kerry are being welcomed by the Kerry branch of the Green Party.
The ‘Safe and Welcoming Streets’ adopted by Kerry County Council will result in removing parking spaces from busy streets with narrow footpaths and enhancing public areas with outdoor furniture.
Parking spaces in Killarney will reduce by 58, Listowel by 50, Kenmare will lose up to 25 spaces and Tralee and Dingle will lose out on up to five spaces each.
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“This will give more space to pedestrians to social distance for public health reasons,” says Cleo Murphy of the Kerry Greens. “But it will also have the effect of making places like Strand Street in Dingle, the Square in Listowel or Henry Street in Kenmare more attractive.”
“We are in favour of making our town centres more accessible to walkers and cyclists so the removal of cars, even on temporary basis, is welcome news. More space is good for elderly people, wheelchair users and parents of young children. Tourists will feel safer visiting and will see the lovely character of the streets. No-one takes photographs of a parked cars.”
Castleisland is planning to put up awnings and canopies, while in Killarney footpaths will be widened and in Tralee more space is being allocated to street furniture for cafes. 50 car parking spaces are being removed in Listowel.
“It all helps to make our town centres more pleasant,” says Ms. Murphy. “But it also points to the need for off-street parking and, in the long run, more frequent Local Link services to bring people into town without resorting to the car.
“It is important that spaces for disabled drivers and loading bays for commercial deliveries are retained, but this plan gives us a chance to see what less car-centric towns will look like. We might find that we like walking through our streets instead of always driving to the doorstep.”
PLANS for the Island of Geese in Tralee should be revised in light of the Covid19 crisis, according to the Kerry branch of the Green Party.
“We now need more open spaces in which we can move freely while maintaining physical distance,” said the party’s Tralee representative Anne-Marie Fuller.
“This space, which was gifted to the people of Tralee, is ideally situated to provide a new, open-air public realm space for the whole community.”
The current proposals for the use of part of the site, which was donated to the Council by the Kerry Group, is to construct a building with office and retail/ restaurant/café space and 30% of the land space to public realm.
“Tralee doesn’t need more office, retail and cafe space,” says Ms. Fuller. “In fact, in the call for ideas for the site, only 1.74% of respondents wanted office space. 59.74% of people wanted it used for arts/culture, social/community, or public amenity.
“This could be a wonderful, large, flexible space for a variety of purposes such as open-air performances, films and concerts, street art and exhibitions, festivals, farmers’ markets and an enjoyable park to socialise and relax in.
“The current public realm plan, which covers 30% of the site, includes a bit of space for these possibilities but on a limited basis and would lead to people being packed into the space. It makes sense now to abandon the plan to build large buildings on the site allocate 100% of the space to the public realm.”
Among the 17 requests put by the Green Party to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael prior to entering negotiations for government, was a commitment to prioritising urban renewal in line with the ‘Town Centre First’ model.
The Kerry branch of the party submitted its proposals on the Island of Geese to Kerry County Council under the Part 8 Public Consultation which closed last Friday (15 May 2020)
.Green Party candidate Cleo Murphy (centre) with Tralee canvassers in Caherslee recently.
THE Green Party candidate for Kerry wants to see Tralee get back its own town council to focus on the specific needs of the county capital.
The Green Party’s manifesto is proposing to introduce district councils, similar to the abolished town councils, but with greater responsibility for the rural hinterland.
“We believe in having people make their own decisions around local government, as far as practicable,” says Green Party candidate for Kerry Cleo Murphy. “Rural Ireland needs to take the reins from centralised Dublin government.
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“Local authorities should have the power and budget to manage their own sustainable transport, social housing, renewable energy, waste management and health promotion.”
“Tralee needs to have its own council focused on the specific needs of the town and surroundings. It has potential to attract new employers but only if they see a good living space for their workers – an attractive town centre, adequate accommodation, and good recreational facilities. Current residents also deserve these facilities and a district council would help to put them place.”
A Localism Bill forms part of the Green Party’s Rural Manifesto, which was published in addition to its general manifesto.
“We have specific needs in rural Ireland which are often overlooked by central government. The Green Party understands that and wants to give more power at local level, says Ms. Murphy, a former Tralee correspondent for the, now defunct, The Kingdom newspaper.
CLEO Murphy has been selected as the Green Party’s candidate in Kerry to run in the next General Election.
The former journalist with Radio Kerry and The Kingdom announced that she has been selected by the party in a tweet this afternoon.
It read: “Thrilled to be selected as the Green Party candidate for #Kerry, a beautiful, vulnerable county that deserves better representation in Dáil Eireann.”
The Kenmare native ran for the party in the local elections in May but was unsuccessful. The Green Party in Kerry, with three candidates running, more than doubled its vote in May compared to the 2014 local elections.
KERRY Sinn Féin general election candidate Cllr Pa Daly has said, a suggestion by the leader of the Green Party that families in rural villages would share a small number of cars is incredulous.
But the Green Party said Eamon Ryan’s comments on Virgin Media One’s Ireland AM show on Wednesday morning have been badly misrepresented.
In the wake of yesterday’s comments by the Green Party leader, Cllr Pa Daly said: “The proposal by Eamon Ryan that villages with 300 families would share 30 cars between them shows how out of touch with rural Ireland the Green Party are, it is incredulous that the leader of any party would come out with this nonsense.”
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“It shows how out of touch the party is with the reality of living and working in rural Ireland. Rural Ireland isn’t a theme park or a place for city dwellers to spend their holidays,” continued the Tralee Municipal District councillor.
Eamon Ryan (third from left) on Ireland AM on Virgin Media One on Wednesday morning.
“Cars are a necessary fact of life for all families living in rural Ireland, public transport is practically non existent and this proposal is a warning against letting the Green Party anywhere near government after the next election.”
However, a Green Party spokesperson contacted TraleeToday.ie to say Eamon Ryan’s comments had been badly misrepresented.
“Eamon Ryan was not in any way calling for a restriction on cars. The proposal for the use of car sharing in rural areas is about adding an extra option for people. Many young adults in rural areas are locked out of car ownership because of spiralling insurance costs – more options are badly needed. Car sharing could help because it would give people more mobility at far less cost than owning a car.
“The Green Party are the only party that have committed in their budget submission for a huge investment in public transport of close to half a billion Euro. This would allow for a serious increase in rural transport options. No other party has come close to proposing that kind of investment in rural transport.”
FOUR new bus services for the Tralee area have been announced as part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for 2023 launched today by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD.
