Event: Public Discussion on Walking and Cycling in Waterford City & County with the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.
Waterford Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh invites people from Waterford City & County and surrounding areas to an online meeting with Eamon Ryan (Minister for Transport, Environment, Climate & Communications) to discuss walking and cycling infrastructure in the city and our county towns and villages.
With unprecedented funding of €1.8billion (or €1million per day) for Active Travel in the Programme for Government and recent announcements of changes to legislation and an extensive recruitment programme for Active Travel units in local authorities, Waterford city and Waterford county’s towns and villages are in a strong position to benefit.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh stated: “I want to see a Waterford in which people of all ages and abilities can walk, cycle or scoot safely to school, work or to the shops. We are extremely lucky in here to have the Greenway which is loved and used by locals and visitors alike. It has encouraged more and more local people to get on their bikes and walk and in some ways, it has shone a light on how difficult normal active travel is for people throughout the county. Ideally, the bikes we see on our Greenways should be seen at the shops, on the way to our schools and parked outside workplaces but we’re not seeing that. People are nervous about cycling on the roads, many footpaths are damaged and inaccessible and parents don’t feel their children will be safe walking, cycling or scooting to school. We need to change that.”
“At the meeting, we will look at the positive changes that are coming down the line for Waterford and the country as a whole. Through breakout rooms, we will get input from you on improvements you’d like to see in your own area. There are many Waterford projects on the way and a team of dedicated staff in Waterford Council setting up to bring more on stream. This is a great opportunity to highlight projects that will make a significant difference to your area”
Speakers at the event are as follows…
- Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD – Green Party TD for Waterford and former cycling campaigner.
- Eamon Ryan – Minister for Transport, Environment, Climate & Communications
- Senator Róisín Garvey: Green Party Spokesperson on Rural Development, Enterprise, Trade & Employment
- Fergus Galvin: Waterford City & County Council Director of Services with responsibility for Roads, Water & Environment.
- Dr Elaine Mullan: WIT lecturer in health-related social and environmental sciences.
- Jemma Jacob: Waterford City & County Council Road Safety Officer.
The meeting takes place on ZOOM on Tuesday March 30th at 7pm. The event is open to the public and is free of charge. To register, email marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie
