Seanad debates
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Public Parks
11:00 am
Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State and I are here to talk about the Phoenix Park again.
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Yes.
Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I am seeking an update on the Phoenix Park transport and mobility study. It is more than two years ago since that strategy was launched and two and a half years since the public had their say. We cannot underestimate the importance of open space and the role that the Phoenix Park plays in the city in providing open space.
In the inner city, park use in terms of land use is only at 1.4%. Dublin North-West and Dublin North-Central have the highest percentage of land use for parks. That is because of the Phoenix Park. In Fingal, where I am from in Dublin West, we reach our targets in terms of open space per population and per person, but we do not have the connectivity people need to access those parks and that is a problem.As we see more compact growth in the city, it is also very clear how important it is to have access and connectivity to open spaces now and in the future. Between 2006 and 2022, the population in Fingal grew by 38% and, therefore, our parks need quality cycle lanes, both in them and connecting to them, public transport that connects to them and parking for people who need to drive. The Phoenix Park should be a hub of connectivity but it is not. There have been changes but I am not sure if we have necessarily seen improvements. It is brilliant that the No. 99 bus service has been introduced and is a step in the right direction. The bus departs from Heuston Station every 30 minutes and travels to the visitors' centre but the service finishes at 6 p.m. when Dublin Zoo is a hive of activity because of Wild Lights, which happens in the evening. The bus service is a pilot scheme and I saw one person on the bus coming from town this morning on my way in. I want the No. 99 bus service to succeed and to do that, the route should be extended to Dublin 15. People in the city centre and the residents of Blanchardstown, Lucan and Finglas use the park the most. Public transport connectivity needs to be extended to these areas.
On cycle lanes, the Phoenix Park should apply best practice and have the highest quality cycle lanes, not bollards on the side of the road. There should be segregated cycle lanes and Dutch-style roundabouts like we are beginning to see in Fingal and Churchfield. Let us lead the way with that. I commend the Fingal County Council on its plan to provide cycle lanes into the park
On parking, there are people who need to drive to the park so they need to be able to park in the park. There are places to park in the park that are not publicised, which is an issue that can simply be remedied but that has not been done. There is a proposal to build a new car park just off the first roundabout on the left-hand side travelling from Castleknock. As guardians and protectors of the Phoenix Park and open spaces, should we not also consider instead of putting new tarmac down into the Phoenix Park but reinstate parking from Castleknock Gate to the first roundabout to facilitate the same number of cars? That option has not been considered and could be done if we had segregated cycle lanes.
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for her question regarding the Phoenix Park. She mentioned Fingal County Council and I was there yesterday launching its biodiversity plan. The county council has done fantastic work and great credit to them.
As the Senator will be aware as a regular visitor to the park, recent years have seen a significant increase in recreational visitors. The OPW faces a difficult challenge in balancing the need of all visitors and users of the park with differing requirements while also providing vehicular access to the various institutions within the Phoenix Park, including Dublin Zoo, An Garda Síochána, Áras an Uachtaráin and St. Mary’s Hospital, etc.
The Transport and Mobility Options Study Post-Consultation Report was published in July 2021, as the Senator knows. The report sets out a series of recommendations for how park visitors will access, experience and move within the Phoenix Park while protecting the public and park environment. It made a number of recommendations to reduce commuter traffic and speed, to increase the cycling and pedestrian opportunities and to improve limited public transport. It also took into account the diverse and complex functions that the park serves, including its historic landscape, biodiversity habitats, visitor attractions and recreational spaces, along with its significant institutions and places of work. There was an extensive public consultation process, which resulted in more than 2,200 submissions.
The OPW has been actively progressing the various elements of the Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study Post-Consultation Report, published in June 2021. Within the study, five common themes emerged as follows: walking and cycling, access, gates and roads, public transport, movement within the park and public consultation - I think hat is general ongoing consultation. The study proposed that the recommendations would be undertaken in three phases over the seven years following the publishing of the study.I am happy to announce that the OPW has already embarked on and completed several of the projects arising from the transport and mobility study. In the two years since publishing the study, the OPW has completed the upgrade of 9 km of footpaths and cycle lanes in the Phoenix Park, allowing for greater mobility and access across the park. It is also working with partners in Dublin City Council and the NTA on the design and roll-out of 8 km of permanent one-directional cycle lanes along both sides of Chesterfield Avenue, linking Castleknock to the city. Again, further updates will be provided in due course.
Thanks to the significant collaboration between the NTA and the OPW, the new 99 bus route, which the Senator referred to, has been operating successfully within the Phoenix Park since 5 October this year, although I note the points the Senator has raised in that regard. This was a key project to be delivered as part of the study. This new route links Heuston Station with the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. There are a number of stops along the route at key destinations such as Dublin Zoo and Áras an Uachtaráin. I hope that, if there is sufficient demand, further expansion can be explored. The Senator mentioned Blanchardstown, Lucan and Finglas in that regard. That might be worth considering.
Another key project identified in the study was the creation of a one-way system on the North Road between Cabra Gate and Garda Headquarters. Following a successful nine-month pilot study, this arrangement has now been made permanent and has allowed for a two-way cycle lane along this section of road. Likewise, the pilot cul-de-sac on the Upper Glen Road is also now operating on a permanent basis. The OPW has also introduced a 30 km per hour speed limit, which became operational in early 2022. There are signs and road markings advising motorists of the speed limit on entry to the park and at key locations throughout.
With regard to cycling infrastructure, I am pleased to say that the number of bicycle parking spaces in the Phoenix Park has doubled from 120 to over 240 in the last 12 months. The OPW will continue to add further cycling infrastructure in the coming months and years. It is dedicated to increasing the number of people who visit the park by active travel means. The location of the additional stands is based on consultation with the cycling community and ensuring sufficient provision in busy areas of the park.
The OPW has also begun the process of increasing the number of accessible parking spaces within the Phoenix Park. Just this week, it installed the first age-friendly car parking spaces in the newly reconstructed car park at Knockmaroon. It is the intention to have 5% of all car parking spaces within the park dedicated as accessible parking and a further 5% dedicated as age-friendly car spaces. I will come back to the other points raised in my closing remarks.
Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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There are small things happening around the park but they are not adding up to the change people want to see. They want quality bicycle lanes and different ways to get to the park. On the 99 bus route, the Minister of State said "if there is sufficient demand, further expansion can be explored" in the future. There is demand. The bus just has to be placed in the right place and it will thrive. I am talking about common-sense changes. Dublin City Council did a survey about the use of parks and what prevented people using them. Some 41.8% of respondents identified a lack of toilets. I am glad the OPW has said it is considering my proposal of eco-toilets but we need to get on with it and implement them. We need to make the Phoenix Park a hub of connections so that people can actually use it and feel welcome in the park.
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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It sounds to me like the Senator is saying there needs to be ongoing collaborative engagement. There was a non-statutory consultation process and 9,000 submissions were received. I absolutely take on board the points the Senator is raising and they will be brought back to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. Eco-toilets are a good idea. I have seen them in operation in other parks across the country and they are very good and effective. Ongoing engagement, particularly with elected Members, on the important points the Senator has raised today is critically important. If things need to be tweaked or changed or if things are not working, the OPW needs to take cognisance of those matters. It is the largest park in Europe and it is very important to the people of Dublin and beyond. We take on board the points the Senator is making and I will certainly bring them back to the Minister of State.