2024 Irish local elections Galway.

ben.schlomo

Commas for all!

rustyfrog

Hope is not a strategy. You might want to be a bit clearer in your objectives than hopefully getting roads "sorted".

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121795766#Comment_121795766

I want to have Public Toilets placed in Barna Village, Furbo at the beach, and Carraroe Village, bad lack of them, and maintain them as they do in Clifden.

Water, issues with water far too often, boil notices, etc, need the water services keeping on top, being proactive as opposed to reactive.

I've witnessed all too often, the issue with vehicles speeding outside primary and secondary schools. Ideally, we put in place zebra crossings with flashing amber beacons, and LED speed indicator signs, and monitor them to see if that can curb speeding, otherwise there would need to be speed bumps or other slowing mechanisms before there is a serious or fatal accident.

Roads R336, R343, and R374 are in a serious state of deterioration from Barna and back all the way, and they require urgent attention.

The three Bridges on the R374 are badly in need of upgrading and widening, the population is just so much bigger than what they were originally designed for. There are structural questions about them also currently being looked at. Long-term, probably new bridges. Galway County Council have suggested traffic lights, yes! Really!

Buses, Only one real objective here, and that is to give the Barna and Moycullen populations their separate city service, similar to how Oranmore enjoys one. This could become a reality very easily, providing the NTA can pull the finger out and give BE the necessary resources. I work in public transport on the 424, so I have a front-row view of it.

The Cuan na Luinge road which floods regularly ( https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/118693717_1638402186329146_6674101019231033146_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=7f8c78&_nc_ohc=6ZsfLlfeBBAAX_hFdTQ&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=00_AfBsSwd0bukayy92Yb2OdZsnb8gfjHx3lshlinEDQz7AAA&oe=65FD914A) and strands those who live there has only received €30,000 for a study, that, even though this has been a known problem for years. ridiculous neglect.

Those are my main objectives for Connemara South at this moment in time.

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798974#Comment_121798974

As regards the public toilets in Clifden, the ones in town have been cordoned off for almost two months and the ones on the beach are rarely unlocked so I wouldn't use that as your benchmark.

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121799044#Comment_121799044

When I worked the 419 service they (in town) were invaluable to me, and many people used them, unfortunately, they were vandalised, yeah I hated that they began work on them a week or two before Christmas, and as you say, they are still closed. I believe that properly managed and maintained they can be an invaluable asset to a place, it would help if they were open though

rustyfrog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798974#Comment_121798974

Where is there money currently being spent that you'd reduce or remove spending on to fund your preferred projects?

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800845#Comment_121800845

Ideally I would rather leave the county's budget alone and aim for the big money in Kildare Street.

For Barna/Moycullen, the NTA funds and provides all those TFI vehicles, and would then be operated by the successful applicant for the contract. No cost to GCC

The water, they have IW and now all the old water services staff on board also to carry out their tasks, I would be seeking funding from the Department of the Environment in that instance.

For the safe areas at schools, I'd be going straight to the Dept of Transport and the €3.8 Billion fund they have allocated to initiatives under the Government Road Safety Strategy.

I would be looking at funding for roads and bridges via the European Regional Development Fund, the country receives quite a substantial amount from the fund, which the TII uses for purposes just like this.

With the toilets, I would have them similar in design to the eyre square ones, self-washing, pay a nominal fee for entry, funds accrued could be used in the provision of supplies etc, those places are busy spots once the weather gets warmer, and are badly needed, as such, I would be bringing proposals to the the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as they provide funding to local authorities in such cases

I assume council approval is required for anything like the above, and as an outsider looking in, I can only at this moment offer my ideas and thoughts. I'm no dreamer, and realise the monstrous task getting these ideas from words on a screen to reality, But i do believe them to all be progressive, positive changes that would only benefit the county.

And interestingly enough, I am meeting with a former councillor who is now a TD next week to talk about these very things, and gather a better idea of what I face if successful.

Anyway it is sleep time Rustyfrog, thanks for the questions.

thesandeman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800979#Comment_121800979

You're talking a bit of sense anyway. If you were in my area I'd definitely put you somewhere high in my preferences.

I've a feeling the person you are meeting tomorrow is somebody I always gave my number 1 to in the locals when I lived in the city and still do for the Dáil. If so I can see them being of great help.

rustyfrog

Well fair play to you for stepping forward, best of luck in the election.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798974#Comment_121798974

Am 100% with ya on the Bus Services from Moycullen and Bearna to and from the City and make them part of the City Network (two of the highest car ownership area's of the County if memory serves me correct)

pjohnson

The 424 bus route has been awful since the new timetable in December. Every bus is now jammed full and leaving people behind after leaving the station (if it can even take everyone waiting there), and full by the time it reaches Spiddal.

The old times were generally fine the issue was not enough seats.

zell12

The 414 Bearna-Rahoon-Galway ceased because of lack of usage

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801839#Comment_121801839

424 yesterday,

7:15am out of Carraroe, had two seats free leaving Barna yesterday morning, other mornings it could be full leaving Furbo,

09:10 Out of Galway, had a total of 6 people, heading west

12:00 out of Carraroe, 18 people

14:35 out of Galway, 24 people

The mistake the NTA made was not allocating additional resources for BE, personally, I will be pushing for the LF Bus https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53129026656_c97533cffa_b.jpg for the peak times, especially, it's the double decker coach as opposed to the double deck city bus. Far more comfortable, and 2 entrance doors, a wheelchair area away from the front, (and peoples luggage) can take over 80 passengers also.

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801868#Comment_121801868

Doubt that issue would be there these days

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802308#Comment_121802308

Agree - was a different era back then.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802247#Comment_121802247

Great info.

I presume much of this rapid demand is related to lack of housing in the City?

A lot of students (and workers) taking bus into the City from Cois Fharraige on the 07h15 service from Carraroe on the 424 ?

Why go for a bigger bus here rather than increased frequency of services for the 424? Driver shortages?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802667#Comment_121802667

NTA decide the schedules. Providers need to adhere. They can put on two double deckers at same time though

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121802667#Comment_121802667

The 424 now has 20 daily services each way, this includes the Carna service and 4 Lettermullen services, so frequency is no longer an issue.

As you said, students/workers and or people that cannot afford the city rents etc, also school kids travelling to the city for school, then there is the big increase in passengers along that road in the last two years with the Ukrainians that live in Carraroe, Spiddal, Furbo, and Barna, and other areas, and they have become regular service users, I took on 15-20 one morning, and on a 47 seat bus, that is a big %.

Speaking of capacity, people may not have noticed, but the 424 coach is now carrying 2 passengers less, it went from 49 seat to 47 recently after complaints that the wheelchair section was very restrictive for manoeuvrability, so the row directly behind the accessible area have been removed on most of those buses. Hence my preference for the bigger bus, especially for peak morning and evening times, it can accomodate more in one go as opposed to two buses, has a great accessible section (towards the middle door).

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121803731#Comment_121803731

7:50 from Lettermullen full before Furbo and leaving people on the road.

pjóflaharta

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806148#Comment_121806148

The 07:15 from carraroe went full at 1st Barna stop, luckily no one at the second stop.

zell12

Labour will be hoping it will be third time lucky, having previously run in 2014 and coming within one vote in 2019.

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/labour-selects-galway-city-centre-candidate-for-junes-local-elections/

what_traffic

Another NEW canidate

https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/139932/fg-candidate-calls-for-community-sports-park

"

Local sports advocate and Fine Gael candidate for Galway City East local elections, Aisling Keogh, has called for a more collaborative effort among sporting bodies to create community shared sports facilities in Galway city and county.

"

sgthighway

You would have to commend anybody running for FG FF or Labour.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121826423#Comment_121826423

Why?

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121186391#Comment_121186391

Looking less likley that this might happen.

zell12

edit.

what_traffic

So when is the last day candidates can declare they are running in a Local Area Ward?

zell12

A month before the vote - "If you wish to stand for election to a local authority in Ireland, you must be nominated during the week that takes place 4 weeks before the polling day."

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121828545#Comment_121828545

Nominations can be submitted from May 11th to 18th. Even then, once the list of candidates is published, there may be some surprises. I remember the local papers lamenting that they had no information about a couple of candidates last time around as they hadn't run a public campaign.

zell12

Have any of sitting councillors said they are not running? If not, don't see any substantial shift in the current chamber