Re: Re: Welcome to Ireland’s ugly urban sprawl
@Papworth wrote:
He writes: ‘Ireland is one of the most car-dependent countries in the world. Irish motorists drive on average 24,000km a year, far above the UK’s average of 16,000 and even topping the US’s 19,000.’ He uses this little-used statistic because car ownership rates are still low by international standards and it doesn’t suit his argument.
Ireland is a car dependent society because there is little public transport on offer in comparison to the European model.
@Papworth wrote:
He writes: ‘The numbers of people commuting by car to Dublin in the morning rush hour increased by 149% between 1991 and 2001.’ But since then – the numbers of cars entering the inner ring has actually fallen.
I’d be interested to see the source of this quote
@Papworth wrote:
He writes: ‘Ian Lumley, knows he is losing the battle over Ireland’s future. “You have to look at this as an American country,” – What does that even mean?
It means that unlike most European economies this one is being developed on a model that is not really that sustainable or doesn’t yield a great quality of life for its army of commuters.
@Papworth wrote:
As Ian Lumley puts it: “The Irish mentality is inherently antiregulation and anti-officialdom. One of the theories is that this goes back to British occupation, to dodging the constabulary, dodging the revenue, getting away from the landlord, hiding pigs under the bed, hiding chickens in the roof and so on.” – this is just hackneyed embarrassing shite.
I disagree, there is a culture in many parts of this Country that regards those that seek planning enforcement as ‘rats or grasses’ with a sense that an individual has broken the community by reporting unauthorised development to the ‘outside authorities’.
@Papworth wrote:
He writes: ‘Having recently visited Stonehenge, Clancy says she was “appalled” by how close the road runs to it.’ – the road at Stonehenge runs within fifty metres of the monument. The new M3 and I’m not defending it is 2400 metres away.
So if your not defending it why do you object to those that do complaining about it?
@Papworth wrote:
He writes: ‘[Martin] Cullen left his job at arts, heritage and environment not to spend more time with his family, but to spend more time with his beloved roads – as minister for transport.’ – shows more astonishing understanding of the Irish political system and ministerial appointments.
In fairness Martin Cullen is a disgrace, from e-voting to Carrickmines to the latest story running in the Independent, he has no regard to anyone but instead steamrolls everything through. The latest spend of €120k by the NRA on publishing advertising to attempt to distract attention from its own misdeeds is beyond belief.
The NRA executive should be replaced by a new team that is capable of delivering projects in a manner that doesn’t end up with most projects coming in significantly over budget and others years late because they didn’t sidestep the ‘professional road objectors’.
Cullen should be stripped of his ministerial seal for mismanagement of the public finances,
