Cian Ginty

See my directly previous post for further details, but Irish Rail have stuck to the line the infromation and reports I’m seeking is not environmental information. I have appealed to the Information Commissioner. This should take some time…

I’m working on getting speed restrictions details from Irish Rail. There’s a number of issues at stake here, from safety to the viability of railways, and more in-between.

My original request was sent on June 11. It asked for “Under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) regulations, S.I. No. 133 of 2007, I am seeking a list of all current speed restrictions on the Irish Rail network, and any reports directly related to these speed restrictions.”

On June 23, Irish Rail told me: “The information you request is not an environmental issue, and is not subject to the AIE regulations.”

I reject this and on July 13 I sent the following outlining why and seeking an internal review. I’m still awaiting a reply from Irish Rail. I emailed them again on August 16 and have tried to contact them again today. Although, I can go to the Information Commissioner at this stage, I’m trying to give Irish Rail and extra chance to reply. While I can’t fund much more at the moment, I can fund this appeal if needed.

UPDATE AUGUST 20: Irish Rail have said this afternoon that they expect a response to the  internal review next week, and they apologised for the delay.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Under the Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) regulations, S.I. No. 133 of 2007, I am seeking an internal review of the decision to reject my request for information relating to speed restrictions on the Irish Rail network.

The original request asked for “a list of all current speed restrictions on the Irish Rail network, and any reports directly related to these speed restrictions.”

The request was denied in an email on June 23 (Subject: “RE: AIE request: Speed restrictions on the Irish Rail network”). The reason
given was that “The information you request is not an environmental issue, and is not subject to the AIE regulations.”

I reject this. It is my position that the request is covered under the regulations as “environmental information.”

It should be noted in the AIE regulations “environmental information” is a very broad term. As the guide to AIE by the Department of the Environment notes: “The definition is deliberately wide in scope and comprehends an extensive range of information.” As the European Commission says, the directive and regulations in all countries cover a wide range “activities or measures adversely affecting or likely so to affect these, and on activities or measures designed to protect these.” What affects or even effects the built and natural environmental is included.

The requested information is covered under the regulation as “environmental information” for a number of reasons.

Railway lines, the maintenance, repair, and construction of these, as well as the running of trains on these all have environmental effects and affects.

Speed restrictions are in place for environmental reasons, including the likelihood of embankment collapse, flooding, landslides etc. This is directly linked to section 4 (a) [ie “the state of the elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land,
landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components”]. This seem to be
supported by the views of the (former) engineer and chief civil engineer of Iarnrod Eireann / Irish Rail – SEE: ‘Chief engineer takes
Iarnród Eireann to High Court’ in the Sunday Business Post, April 4, 2010, available at:
http://thepost.ie/news/ireland/chief-engineer-takes-iarnrod-eireann-to-high-court-48414.html

Any remedies (ie maintenance, repair, and construction) on sections of the network with restrictions in place because of the likelihood of embankment collapse, flooding, landslides etc are likely to affect “the state of the elements of the environment” mentioned in 4 a of the regulations.

Speed restrictions relating to the state of track, track bed, bridges or foundations are all “built structures.” These can be seen as
covered under “built structures inasmuch as they are, or may be, affected by the state of the elements of the environment referred to
in paragraph (a) or, through those elements, by any of the matters referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c)”;

Given that the main reason for speed restriction is safety, all speed restrictions can without question be linked to the “state of human
health and safety” as mentioned in section 4 (f) of the regulations. Issues of human health and safety and the state of the environment
around the railway network are of the utmost importance given affect environment impacts can have on state of human health and safety of railway passengers and staff.

Speed restrictions can affect or are likely to affect the energy use, noise, and emissions of trains — all of which elements are covered
under section 4 (b).

Given the growth of the motorway network, the speed of rail transport – mostly passenger transport but also freight transport — can be a key decider on what transport mode a person or company uses, speed restrictions can have an affect on user choice and increase the possibility that potential passengers or freight will be transported using forms of transport which have greater affects on the environment – this affects state of the elements mentioned in sections 4 (a) and the factors mentioned in 4 (d) of the regulations. It also is under 4 (c): “measures (including administrative measures), such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements,”

The possible use of express intercity buses instead of trains now for passenger use is also covered 4 (c) as a measures and policy, and
under 4 (e) [ie to allow for cost-benefit and other economic analyses].

If you have any question about this request please contact me using the below email address.

Regards,

Cian Ginty

I recently requested all the Environmental Impact Statements done for or by Irish Rail since 2000, using Access to Information on the Environment.

On July 12, Irish Rail replied saying: “As requested on 11th June, below is a list of EIS documents commissioned by or for Iarnród Éireann since 2000.  Should there be any further addition to this list (awaiting confirmation from one division), I will let you know.”

- Kildare route project
- Glounthane – Midleton line
- Clonsilla- Pace line
- Laois Traincare depot
- Tara street station 2000 & 2009 – 2 separate reports
- Drogheda DMU depot
- Footbridges at Clonsilla & Coolmine ecological report only
- Reillys crossing – Environmental report
- Ceannt Station Galway Masterplan

The EIS for the Dart Underground has been since released at http://www.dartundergroundrailwayorder.ie/

Using Access to Information on the Environment, I requested the list of protected structures on the Irish Rail network,  this was the reply, I’ve moved the notes to the top here:

Below is a list of protected stations on our network.  Please note the caveats at the end of the list.

…

Notes:

1. All protected railway structures include ancilliary buildings including signal cabins, tank houses, water columns and goods sheds unless otherwise specifically stated in Local Authority designations
2. Structures under protection also usually include cartilage to the extent determined by local authority Protection Order
3. The list above may not be complete as additions are regularly made.   Deletions are only made in the case of full planning approval by the local authority concerned and with regard to station safety and access enhancements which make such de-listing absolutely necessary

…

Northern:

Connolly
Raheny
Sutton
Howth
Malahide
Rush & Lusk
Skerries
Balbriggan
Gormanston
Laytown
Drogheda
Dundalk

South Eastern:
Wexford
Gorey
Arklow
Rathdrum
Wicklow
Greystones
Bray
Killiney
Dalkey
Glenageary
Sandycove & Glasthule
Dun Laoghaire
Seapoint
Blackrock
Booterstown
Sydney Parade
Lansdowne Road
Pearse

South Western:
Heuston
Hazelhatch & Celbridge
Sallins & Naas
Newbridge
Kildare
Portarlington
Portlaoise
Ballybrophy
Templemore
Thurles
Limerick Junction
Mallow
Cork
Little Island
Glounthaune
Midleton
Fota
Carrigaloe
Rushbrooke
Cobh
Banteer
Millstreet
Rathmore
Killarney
Farranfore
Tralee

Waterford branch:
Athy
Carlow
Bagenalstown
Kilkenny
Thomastown
Waterford

Waterford Limerick & Western branch:
Limerick
Dromkeen
Tipperary
Cahir
Clonmel
Carrick-on-Suir

Limerick-Galway branch:
Ennis
Gort
Athenry
Galway

Ballybrophy-Limerick branch:
Roscrea
Cloughjordan
Nenagh
Birdhill
Castleconnell

Midland: (To Galway)
Tullamore
Clara
Athlone (Midland)
Athlone (GS&WR – current station)
Ballinasloe
Woodlawn
Attymon
Athenry
Galway

Midland (To Sligo):
Drumcondra
Enfield
Mullingar
Edgeworthstown
Longford
Dromod
Carrick-on-Shannon
Boyle
Ballymote
Collooney
Sligo

Midland (To Westport & Ballina):
Roscommon
Castlerea
Ballyhaunis
Claremorris
Foxford
Ballina
Castlebar
Westport

Western Rail Corridor (disused section):
Ballyglunin
Tuam
Kiltimagh
Swinford
Tubbercurry
Ballingrane-Foynes branch:
Adare
Foynes

…the cliffs beside the Ceide Fields in Mayo are free to view…

Niall Farrell, Niall O’Connor, and myself have set up a project called DublinObserver.com.

It’s going to be covering news in Dublin city from local angle (so, it’s not a national publication also covering local stories, or a local publication pretending to be a national paper). We will have stories only people from certain areas will be interested in, but that’s the nature of the publication.

We have the website designed to grow with the content: A slightly larger home page and new sections are on their way as content builds up.

It’s an ambitious project, and hopefully it’ll also be a successful one.

UPDATE: Dublin Observer has an a report a video of the successful attempt

The Street Performance World Championship are hosting a World Record space hopper attempt in Dublin this weekend. Make sure to email them at worldrecord@spwc.ie if you’re attending (one email per person apparently).

More details at the attempt’s Facebook page.

Also see the Street Performance World Championship at their website, on their blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

PHOTO: Dundas Football Club, Some Rights Reserved

On how to silence the noise from vuvuzelas at the World Cup in South Africa, this press release came from DCU today.

Interestingly it notes after method two that “This could be done by broadcasters”, so now there’s no excuse for the likes of RTE to claim they can’t do anything?…

So you’ve started watching the World Cup in South Africa, you’re enjoying the games, but the thing that’s spoiling it for many are those vuvuzelas. Until FIFA gets around to banning them, there is another way of reducing the sound on your television.  Dr Sean Marlow, lecturer in DCU’s School of Engineering, tells us how.

Read the rest of this entry »

Irish Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore

Bit late to blog on this, but anyway… Some interesting talk was coming from Irish Labour Party members — on twitter and elsewhere – about the Liberal Democrats back at the time of the UK elections.

The Labour Party, or at least members at different levels, seem oblivious to the similarities with their party and the Lib Dems. First, both have been the third party in mostly two-party systems. But more striking is their policy positions.

BEFORE READING FURTHER: If you’ve never heard of the Political Compass before then read their homepage. It’s mantra is that the old left-right scale is not enough, more is explained after you take the time to test yourself — you never know, you might be miles away from the political party you think you like.

The highly respected (and highly dated looking) politicalcompass.org puts the Irish Labour Party, as of the 2007 elections, closer to the Lib Dems than most other parties in the UK.

Photo: Labour Party, some rights reserved.

Make sure you wear your cycling and motoring helmet this week as it’s National Helmet Week in Ireland.

The Department of Transport and others have gotten together this week to promote helmet use, mainly aimed at cyclists. The department has spent money advertising the use of helmets at bus shelters, in a supplement in the Irish Independent newspaper and elsewhere. You can even download the posters (as above) your self on the Helmet Week website’s poster page.

But, with political correctness gone mad and that diversity nonsense, at least one anti-helmet event is somehow being run under the banner of National Helmet Week. Dublin City Council have asked that dangerous Cycle Chic promoter, Mikael Colville-Andersen, to come to Dublin.  

This reckless Cycle Chic stuff has already made its way into a few national newspapers. However, we’re assured that the model pictured in these newspapers to promote the so-called Cycle Chic event only cycled without a helmet with an ambulance and a team of brain surgeons standing by. Everybody is warned not to try this at home, and don’t even think about trying it in public.

Cycling is dangerous. It’s very dangerous to cycle without a helmet or high-vis, says the Road Safety Authority. The authority adds that high-viz should be worn at all times even when it’s really sunny. Because cycling is dangerous. Actually, if everybody would be nice enough to stop cycling, the Road Safety Authority would be happy as then there would be no cycling deaths on the roads.