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SO FAR, IT’S been all niceties, with a few sly remarks in the Fine Gael leadership race. But, the hustings (debates) kick off on Thursday, so there is still time.
Yesterday was the first Cabinet meeting after a weekend in which declarations of support flooded in for Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar.
Making his way into Government Buildings, Varadkar told waiting reporters “he hopes it won’t be awkward at Cabinet” now that the leadership contest is underway.
So, was it a case of the ministers sitting on opposite sides of the table during discussions, and was it awkward?
Coveney said such reports were “rubbish”.
In an interview with TheJournal.ie, the Housing Minster said:
I saw Leo being quoted on the way in saying that, and there was no awkwardness – we are professional politicians, we are also colleagues and friends in the party. There was no awkwardness today, we just got on with the job and that is what we will do when this process is over as well.
While the end of this contest seems to be a lifetime away, what can we expect afterwards?
There has already been speculation that some supporters could be relegated to the back benches, but what about the relationship between Leo and Simon? Can fences be mended or will there be any animosity between the pair?
Well, let’s wait and see. I hope there won’t be, but let’s just be clear, this is a contest – it is a contest of ideas and a contest in terms of the direction this party is going and I intend to make a pretty compelling argument in relation to that. But I am not going to get personal. I have huge regard for Leo Varadkar and many of the people who are supporting him. But whoever wins, if I win, I expect Leo to work with me to rebuild the party and, if he wins, I will certainly do the same.
Answering a question during a rally this week, Coveney said he was more concerned about his supporters’ future than his own.
“I have huge admiration for colleagues who are committed to not only me, but my message, who in a way, commit their careers to me,” he told TheJournal.ie, adding:
If you look back in history, generally people who support the winner tend to do better in terms of appointments. I would like to think that isn’t driving the choices that many people make, but I am not naive enough to think that it is not a factor.
“I don’t hold grudges against anyone for the decisions that they’ve made and really I think it is a waste of time and space to begin talking about that,” said Coveney.
He said the party needs to have a more important discussion now about where Fine Gael politics is going to take the country over the next two decades.
Coveney said he is passionate about creating a country that is unified and a lot fairer.
“I hope I get the opportunity to take us there,” he said.
You can read the full TheJournal.ie interview with Simon Coveney later tonight.
I know cyclists get a raw deal being shoved into bus lanes or not having any lanes at all but in the city centre they can be lethal, going the wrong way on streets, breaking lights etc…so at least some enforcement would be good I think
why do our political elite kick the shite out of the ordinary person every day in this country ,and the boys that are doing irreversible damage get a pat on the back,humphreys we are getting tired of listening to your horse manure go after seanie and his cronies
I’d say now we have bigger fish to fry in this country than trying to batter the poor auld peddler .
You have to catch’em first!
19% break red lights.. hmm I don’t think so! the amount of times I’ve almost been killed by a cyclist breaking a red light is ridiculous. a few weeks ago I seen a Garda stop 3 cyclists at one junction after they broke a red light, he gave them tickets, and rightly so.
Proper order cyclists should be required to do some form of training and licensing to use the road as the rest of us have to. Majority of cyclists I’ve seen show no regard to either themselves or other people, weaving in and out of traffic
“The use of footpaths by cyclists is particularly dangerous to the elderly and it is a constant issue in many areas of the city”
So why are so many cycle lances just a painted white line on a footpath, which legally have to be used if cycling along the route, a rule which I don’t follow
See the picture of Samuel Beckett bridge, the cyclist there are actually breaking the law as that is a Bus Only lane, there is a cycle lane on the bridge, but is part of the Footpath, if you use the cycle lane you are likely to hit pedestrians. If cyclist are given half decent cycle lanes they won’t break the law as much
You are never under any obligation to use cycle-lanes – nor even to hug the kerb. Under the law, cyclists safety supercedes motorists convienience.
er… no.
In Ireland it seems to be acceptable for cyclists to break lights, cycle on footpaths etc. Equally drivers still drive and talk/text on their phones and it’s become acceptable for cars to break red lights up to 3 or 4 seconds after the lights have changed which is lethal for all concerned. Jaywalking seems to be a national pastime for pedestrians! The problem isn’t any particular mode of transport or the law, the problem is enforcement.
Tell Kevin to piss off..fines and bulls..first you need to build infrastructure before you even start thinking of revenue collection.
The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws.
— Cornelius Tacitus, 55-117 AD
But we are not a republic.
Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.”
— Cornelius Tacitus
“A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought.”
Dorothy L. Sayers
“There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.”
― Ambrose Bierce
Nothing better than breaking your record cos ya flew through every red light on the way :)
Badly needed, they get away with murder! As a motorist I have no problems just show patience and give space and all will be good but as a pedestrian they are shocking, especially in the city centre, sail wrong way down one way streets fly through red lights, cycle down tight pavements with no cycle lane marking and worst of all try to weave through pedestrians at crossings, should be forced to register and have insurance like other road users!!
‘On the spot fines!’ You’re having a laugh!! It is a stupid suggestion for one reason – it is totally unenforcable! So a guard pulls up a cyclist and goes to give a fine, how is he going to give it to the person, they are not required to carry any ID! Therefore it will be so easy to give a false name and address, so now you’ve wasted garda time, issued an uncollectable fine and probably clog up the courts with outstanding fines with false names ‘n addresses.
The only way of enforcing such a fine system is to make it compulsory to carry a National ID card or confiscate the bike till the fine is paid!
ID cards or cyclists breaking the law? Hmmmmmmm, difficult decision Jack. I’ll take the cyclists breaking the odd red light or some other MINOR law over an ID card for potential Fascists wanting to know me or my business. We had terrorists here for years, probably still do, and you want ID cards to catch cyclists. I was in favour of punishing the evil doer cyclists but not at the expense of my civil liberties. Confiscating the bike? Well I’ll go for that one.
its not so much the rule breaking that is causing the problem – but the disruption to other road / path users! i’ve both broken red lights on a bike and cycled on a footpath – but when i do so i know i have no right to do so – so i’ll yield to anyone else who actually has the right of way!
fully agree with frustrated pedestrians who nearly get run over while crossing with a green man!!
+1
At the moment we are not obliged to use cycle lanes. I live out in Dublin 15 and nearly every time I use the cycle lanes they slow me down! People rambling along , blocking the lane without a care in the world like . And the bike lanes are never swept. Full of glass and debris .
It is spectacular to watch gobshites on bikes trying to cycle up the footpaths in O’Connell Street at rush hour on fridays…and they get upset because of all the damn pedestrians walking on the footpaths! Mad country!
Well if you want to fine cyclists wife minor infringements you will also need to fine pedestrians who walk on cycle lanes, bus drivers who pull out thoughtlessly in front of cyclists, taxi drivers who pull into cycle lanes to let off passengers. You will also have to consider how you can offset the disincentive of fines to keep cyclists using their bikes and your green carbon neutral policies on track. Or you could just forget all about it and accept that nobody is perfect, not even us cyclists!
Il second that :) cycling is probably the only thing you can do without government infringement.. I hope they back off
What is the point in investing in all these cycle lanes. The Waterford County Council has got over 1/2 million to invest in cycle lanes and foot paths as part of the Smarter Travel program from the government but a lot of the cycleist do not even use the lanes and cycle beside them and nearly causeing accidents. So I say bring in fines for them they can’t float the law and get away with it.
You should need to get a license for urban cycling. These people are a danger to themselves and others.
This is just dumb.. A licence for owning a bike… Dude all these regulations sound an awful lot like fascism
eah, well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man
Semperit???
Did they not close down donkey’s years ago??
I think the government really to be all honesty be focusing on other matters… How this even makes the government to do list is beyond me.. This is a local matter and if councils desire to create new by-laws let them..
By providing a better infrastructure for cyclists and educating basic safety rules should be the first step before sanctioning any legislation to enforce on the spot fines.
Our government should look to the Netherlands for advice.
Here’s a short video about the historical problems the Dutch faced and why it’s now safer for cyclists and motorists to co-habit the streets.
http://video.repubblica.it/mondo/olanda-cosi-sono-nate-le-ciclabili/89068?video=&ref=HREC2-5
We will end up with many roads like this…
http://www.google.ie/search?tbm=isch&source=mog&hl=en&gl=ie&client=safari&q=cycle%20lane%20stamullen&sa=N&biw=320&bih=416#i=0
It’s difficult to make out in that pic but it was insisted that cycle lane be put in place so now the road is not wide enough for two cars to pass each other without driving in the cycle lane… Which is illegal.. Ridiculous
IMHO putting cyclists with cars/vans/buses/trucks in the same space is more dangerous than cycling on the footpath. cyclist vs car = one dead cyclist – cyclist vs pedestrian, not so much.
also consider cycling against the flow of traffic: why is it the recommended way for pedestrians to use a road if no footpaths are present? you see the threat approaching and are able to take avoiding action – same applies to cyclists.
As a road user (walking, cycling & driving) its my responsibility to look out for my safety as well as the safety of others. that’s why when i’m cycling *and the conditions dictate* i will continue to cycle on the footpath or against the flow of traffic.
I will also continue to wear a helmet, reflective vest and ensure my lights are on.
Many of cyclist have dashed right in front of me on Pathways that is against the Law” as you can be Fined up to 40 euro “The Road is For cyclist” Not Paths where People and children or a blind man or old lady are walking on” as they could easily endanger that Person” there are Cycle lanes on The road” that is where they are meant to be driving on not the Footpath for the safety of the Public
I think cyclists are a law unto themselves. Many of them are a menace on the roads. At night a lot of them dont have lights so they are impossible to see. And those guys wearing the cycling gear? They cycle up to three and four abreast with no thought for the drivers behind them. None of them seem to have heard that you tuck into the left hand side of the road when a car comes up behind to pass. We were always taught, never to cycle more than two abreast, and preferably in single file. In the city cyclists weave in and out of traffic like it was an obstacle course. Parents dont seem to teach their children anymore how to cycle safely. Kids dont have lights at night. They speed down hills. Weave in and out of traffic. Hang on to cars and lorries. Maybe cycling should just be banned altogether for everyones safety!!!! Thats tongue in cheek, by the way.
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