I guess you're talking about the route to Shannon Airport. I would be optimistic about Leddin's ability to drive that project forward, taking into account that it would involve development in Clare as well. He's an experienced politician and negotiator as well as having the technical credentials to know what he is talking about in practical terms.
I also find he is the only mainstream candidate whose vision I am really clear on. The vision I get from most of them is of themselves being mayor primarily and what they will actually do somewhat secondary. Personally I have no doubt he is the best person for the job.
Ya the airport route. It's not gonna happen.
All the other stuff like P&R and the Moyross and Ballysimon stations are happening.
The only thing the mayor could champion that isn't planned but could have a real influence on is a commuter service to Raheen/Patrickswell/Adare. I've heard the reasons not to do it and I don't care. I'de love to see it happen.
He won't be able to drive that project forward as he won't (if elected) have the power to do so. And the project would be built entirely in Co Clare, not just involve Clare, where he would have no authority.
As I explained in an earlier post, even if the government decided to build that link tomorrow, it would take at least a decade to be implemented and probably longer.
Also he's only been in politics 5 years. He was elected to council in 2019 and to the Dail the following year. He is in no way an experienced politician.
He's been in politics seven years. He has been a TD since 2020. He was chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action which brought the climate action bill into law, involving a lot of cross-party collaboration. That is string experience that shows he can get things done when collaborating with differently aligned parties.
He seems to have been more active in those 7 years than a lot of the wasters around the place.
Genuine question. What has he actually gotten done?
The climate action committee didn't bring anything into law. They made recommendations on the draft bill, but the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications drafted the bill, which the Minister brought to Cabinet, who then passed it onto the Oireachtas to be voted into law.
He's a backbench Government TD. He has very little power other than having the ear of Eamonn Ryan.
Most politicians have very little power other than the ear of their boss.
You really do this mad jump from the voice of reason to hyperbole anytime the Greens are mentioned.
How is it hyperbole? The poster stated something that is wrong and I corrected them. You've already stated that you agree that the rail to Shannon stuff is nonsense.
I'm not anti Green, but I an anti pie in the sky. I want BusConnects up and running along with the P&Rs. It will be a of far greater benefit to PT in the city than reopening the old rail lines as commuter lines, which would be a white elephant as they won't take people where the want to go. And in the long term (as I said earlier) I'd love to see a tram line from Castletroy to Raheen via the city center.
I also disagree with their stance on roads. The LNDR is necessary to remove traffic from the city (and the relevant authorities agree), but it's been canned purely on Eamonn Ryan's orders after he attempted to get Coonagh to Knockalisheen canned.
Other than that, I'm pro more bus and cycle lanes, decarbonisation of electricity, reforesting, habitat reinstatement etc. I'm also definitely pro big ticket items like Dublin Metro and Dart+, electrification of the national rail network, Cork Commuter Rail (an actual active line with proven ridership being double tracked) and hopefully the double tracking of the line out to Limerick Junction.
It's only a few things that I disagree with them on, but those things do affect Limerick so I will argue the point when they come up on here.
You are being over the top on Leddin's political record. And I have seen you revel in the "beating" the Greens on course to get.
I'm in 2 minds about the Airport route. On the one hand it takes cars off the road and gives tourists easy access to the city. On the other hand it promotes air travel, something the greens say they want cut. So what Brian Leddins game is exactly is hard to tell
Personally I'm all for it the route but I don't see how it fits in with the Green Party's agenda
I would say he is far more concerned about Shannon town and the industrial estate.
Also nobody is deciding to fly based on there being or not being a train. Shannon is actually a very easy airport to get to so connectivity is not a factor. All it will do is make the holiday or business trip more sustainable.
Tourism is one of the largest employers in the country, not even the Greens are saying get rid of that market! A train/light rail option from an airport to a city centre/transport hub is in every other country except Ireland!
He's been an elected representative for 5 years. That is not long enough for somebody to be referred to as an experienced politician. And saying that I revel in their more than likely loss of seats at the next election is you resorting to hyperbole.
I wouldn't say it's normal in an airport the size of Shannon to be honest. It's bonkers somewhere like Dublin doesn't have one though.
LOL trains/light rails Limerick City does not even have a dedicated bus connecting to Shannon airport to serve the population let alone tourists.
What was Moran thinking?
The 51/X51 and the 343 serve the airport around 40 times a day.
What are you talking about. There's 2 different bus routes to Shannon and one is a non stop express service.
I think I agree wholeheartedly!
https://x.com/P_BT8_V94/status/1797211754994225361?t=SWEWBVfxcwf_e5sEk1owAg&s=19
He knows full well that snap could be beneficial to his campaign. The catholic, conservative cohort tends to be the most likely to actually go out and vote on the day.
Take with a pinch of salt but Helen O Donnell has moved to being the bookies favourite with a few days to go
Interesting to see Moran has more bets placed for him though. Helen voters betting big
A reminder that bookies odds are not the same as an opinion poll.
All will be revealed next week, presumably around Tuesday afternoon
Tuesday afternoon? With counting expected to take place from Saturday morning we should expect a result by mid afternoon, I hear local election counts are to take place from 2pm which must mean that the Mayoral election will be the first boxes opened and counted.
Heard on the radio that the mayor count is after Euros, and with 15 candidates it will take a while
Latest predictions?
Irish Rail CE Jim Meade says it can be done in 5 years. Maybe that's being ambitious but I don't think it's overly ambitious for construction to be underway within 5 years at least. It would be great for the midwest to have Shannon connected to the national rail network (and be the only airport in the country to be connected) to help Limerick become an attractive counterbalance to Dublin for investment and economic growth. People don't have to agree with the plan - they can vote for Daniel Butler and the so called "vital" road to bypass Limerick - but at least he has a very clear plan where as many of the other candidates seem to want to tick every box to please as many voters as possible.
I'm sticking by my earlier prediction.
SF to top the poll and FF/FG to fight it out with transfers between them. For the purposes of my prediction Helen O Donnell, John Moran and Dee Ryan are all FF or FG so my prediction is one of those 3 will take the chains. I know that Daniel Butler is the FG candidate on paper but I don't think he's overly interested in the job and this is coming across very strongly
Remember as well, predictions are like arseholes!
DB and FG are falling over themselves to win the DEM - what party wouldn't?? I saw Jennifer Carroll McNeil down from Dublin yesterday handing out flyers in the Crescent SC so they're obviously calling in some 'big guns' to help out. And by a 'big gun' I just mean a minister from a completely different constituency buy I'm not sure how many people recognised her in the SC.
We live on an island, people need to get to places so we need to be practical. Maybe we can cut back on €40 Ryanair return flights to no where for a piss-up though.
