Tag: news

  • It’s ‘fine’ – I’ll park here

    It’s ‘fine’ – I’ll park here

    By Sean Cuttle

    Sean Cuttle investigates on the car parking fines issued by Dublin City Council

    Imagine this. You have just pulled into a parking space on the street in your local town. You see the pay and display sign but the meter is all the way down the road. You think to yourself “sure I’ll only be a minute, I’ll risk it”, and head into the shop. Inevitably, the dreaded fine awaits you on your return, tucked safely underneath your windscreen wiper. 

    Nobody likes fines, well, except the people who issue them. In 2019, South Dublin County Council issued a total of 7,983 fines for breaches of vehicle parking regulations on public roads.

    “Parking contrary to pay and display regulation” was by far the highest reason for receiving a parking fine in 2019, accounting for just over 50% of the total number of fines issued by South Dublin County Council and is 2,894 tickets higher than the next largest category: “Parking on a footpath.”

    In total the 7,983 fines consist of 30 different offences all relating to the location of parked vehicles.

    Also, out of the total 7,983 fines issued by South Dublin County Council in 2019, they were unevenly spread throughout 112 different streets. Lucan Main Street received the largest number of fines in 2019 with 1407. Rathfarnham Main Street came in second place with 733 fines.

    South Dublin County Council released this data under the Freedom of Information Act, however the council declined a similar request to release the total revenue generated by parking fines in 2019. Taking the average parking fine of €60, South Dublin County Council would have generated €478,980 in revenue from parking fines in 2019. This figure does not account for any fines that were successfully appealed or any late penalties applied to offenders who did not pay their fine on time.

    According to a separate freedom of information request obtained by Ken Foxe and reported in the Irish Independent, according to South Dublin County Council, only 74% of parking fines issued were paid in 2019, up 9% from 65% in 2017.

    But how does South Dublin County Council’s number of fines issued compare with other local county councils? 

    In the same year, Waterford County Council issued 15,233 fines in 205 different streets with an estimated value, again based off the average €60 parking fine, of €913,980.

    Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council issued 11,934 fines in 2019 spread throughout 416 different streets. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said that parking fines had brought in €3.34m over the past three years. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown also suffers from a relatively high rate of people who fail to pay parking fines that are issued to them . In 2017, 85pc of parking fines were paid, which dropped to 81pc the following year. In 2019, the rate fell again to 79pc. Ken Foxe also reported that according to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, one person had amassed 349 unpaid parking tickets in the past three years, worth €21,000.

    Fingal County Council issued 22,289 fines in 2019 in 559 separate locations at an estimated revenue of €1.3 million (calculated in the same manner as previous estimations). Fingal County Council reported that only two-thirds of parking fines issued in the past three years were paid with 68% of fines issued in 2019 paid.

    Spokesperson for the pay and display department in South Dublin County Council, Catherine White, explained that “100% of parking fines are issued by third-party contractors on behalf of South Dublin County Council”. White elaborated that the average fine is €60 with a late fee of an additional €20. “All money generated through vehicle fines issued on behalf of SDCC is spent on maintenance and operation of the pay and display system,” White said.

  • Same ocean, different boat: The rural-urban lockdown divide

    Same ocean, different boat: The rural-urban lockdown divide

    Monellan Woods in County Donegal. Photo by Niamh Alexander

    “We’re all in the same boat.”

    We have all heard this saying in some shape or form since lockdown began. It has been repeated over and over as a way of reassuring the masses that we are all in this together – that we need to present a united front to beat the virus.

    Which is true – to an extent.

    It might be more accurate to say we are all in the same ocean, but different boats.

    Every one of us will have a different experience of lockdown to tell. Do you live with your family or housemates or even alone? Maybe you have not left the house since last March or maybe you are a key worker and haven’t actually stayed at home at all. Do you live on the top floor of an apartment building or in a spacious house with a garden?

    The River Liffey in Dublin city. Photo by Stephen Hylands via Pexels.com

    This is especially true in the case of quarantining in the countryside versus in a city. I have experienced both country and city living, and I can attest to the vastly different experiences. 

    “I spent the first lockdown at home, and I live in quite a rural area,” says Arlene Bonner, a student from Donegal who has since moved to Dublin.

    “We were lucky that the weather was really good, so I actually spent a lot of it outside, you know going for walks or just sitting in the garden. I think that maybe lessened the feeling of anxiousness or claustrophobia that a lot of other people talked about. There’s a woods near my house so I spent a lot of time there which was nice,” she says. 

    For Dublin resident Jennifer Carleton, the experience was very different:

    “I would definitely love to be quarantining in the countryside instead of the city. I live in a housing estate so there isn’t a lot of green spaces that I can really enjoy. I’m beside a really busy road so I don’t have a lot of options. I kind of just have the one route if I want to go for a walk or anything. I spend most of my time indoors,” she tells me.

    Georgian houses in Dublin. Photo by Skitterphoto via Pexels.com

    For a lot of people, this is the main draw for living in more rural areas, especially during lockdown. Having the option to explore more open spaces and scenic countryside can make for a more pleasant lockdown experience.

    “I think lockdown is going to be pretty lonely no matter where you are”

    Jennifer Carleton

    However, countryside living can also have its drawbacks.

    “I do think being in lockdown in Donegal was a lot more isolating than Dublin. I didn’t really see anyone except my family for the full six weeks, but in Dublin I live in an apartment complex, so I have lots of neighbours that I see most days. There’s always people around,” says Bonner.

    When asked if she found lockdown in a city to be isolating, Carleton said that lockdown is difficult regardless of where you spend it:

    “I think lockdown is going to be pretty lonely no matter where you are, but yeah I do think being in a city is easier in that sense. I know most of my neighbours so we’re able to meet up outside as long as we stay far apart.”

    Most people assume that the isolation of the countryside would be relatively safer than a crowded city. However, this has not rung true for Ireland’s Covid-19 statistics. Rural areas have reported some of the highest number of cases per 100,000 of the population since the pandemic began.

    For a while, Donegal had the highest 14-day incidence rate in the country. Other rural areas have been particularly high – Co Offaly currently has a 14-day incidence rate of 369.4, higher even than Dublin.

    In contrast, some urban areas such as Blackrock or Dun Laoghaire in Dublin have experienced a considerably low number of cases per 100,000.

    It is difficult to know exactly why cases in some rural areas have been so high, and health officials have yet to pinpoint an exact reason. 

    “I do think it’s a case of letting your guard down. I think people expect rural areas to be safer and they might not be as good at sticking to some of the restrictions. It’s a lot harder to forget about (the pandemic) in a busy city,” says Bonner.

    Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that not everyone’s experience of the lockdown has been equal.

    In particular, minority groups have been disproportionately affected by Covid, with “Black, Black Irish, Asian, Asian Irish and Traveller groups [being] more likely to contract Covid-19 than those who are white Irish”, which can be attributed to occupation and housing conditions, according to a recent report by The National and Economic Social Council (NESC).

    The report shows that groups such as migrants, Irish Travellers, and those living in Direct Provision centres live in circumstances that leave them more susceptible to the virus.

    Issues such as poor renting conditions, house-sharing with non-family members, and overcrowding has led to significant Covid-19 outbreaks within these groups.

  • “Twenty-seven years I carried a gun, I never had to use it”: Disarming the Garda

    “Twenty-seven years I carried a gun, I never had to use it”: Disarming the Garda

    An Garda Síochana have reduced the amount of members carrying firearms following a review in 2019 by the Policing Authority Ireland, as the force moves towards a model of having specialist armed response as their main firearm unit. Jonathan Kelly explores the relationship between the Garda and arms.

    Photo taken by Sean MacEntee. Sourced from Flickr.

    According to figures released by the Garda Ombudsman (Gsoc), armed Gardaí have fired their weapons on only 16 occasions since 2016, with accidental discharge accounting for a third of incidents. Last June, a detective guarding the Israeli embassy in Dublin accidentally shot himself in the leg.

    “That could happen in an emergency, a fella taking his gun out and the damned thing going off. Lucky no one was killed,” Mr. Michael Mangan, a recently retired detective said. “For 27 years I carried a gun, I never had to use it though.”

    “I withdrew it a couple of times in very dangerous situations but lucky enough I never had to use it” he added.

    The 2019 review found more than a quarter of the force, 27% or 3,778 members carried a firearms authorisation card. The Policing Authority found many of them were working desk jobs and non-frontline areas. More than 1,000 cards have been revoked to date, with now 19% or 2,776 of the force armed.

    Mr. Mangan said, “I wouldn’t agree with uniform people (Garda) being armed, I think guns should be carried by detectives though,” when asked about a fully armed police force.

    When the City spoke to some members of the public, the majority of people revealed they would feel less safe if all Gardai were armed. One of the respondents wrote: “Naturally I’d feel nervous, there’s always a few bad eggs in every bunch.”

    However, only half of the respondents agreed with reducing the number of armed Garda. “I’m proud that the Irish are one of the only countries in the world with an unarmed police force,” another replied. 

    According to Gsoc, Gardaí have used tasers on 125 separate occasions over the last five years. Taser guns are currently only available to specialist units such as the Emergency Response Unit, the Armed Support Units and Special Detective United, although consideration is being given to arm all frontline Gardaí with them. Less than half of the respondents would be in favour of such a move.

  • ‘Art and nature can help to erase the stigma associated with addiction,’ says founder of treatment centre

    ‘Art and nature can help to erase the stigma associated with addiction,’ says founder of treatment centre

    A ‘Wizard of Oz’ mural in the greenhouse which the members created. Photo: Kim O’Leary.

    The founder of an addiction and mental health treatment centre in Athy, Co Kildare, has said that artwork and a return to nature can help people in their battle against addiction and mental health issues. TheCity.ie’s Kim O’Leary speaks to Declan Nolan, who has seen patients thrive by making art works and gardening, while also helping to bring local communities together.

    Declan Nolan is the founder of Discover Oneself (D1-S) in Athy, set up in the town three years ago. Drug use, he says, is “becoming less hidden and more obvious” there and nationwide as well.

    “It has been bad for years in Athy and people are talking about it now because it’s becoming less hidden and more obvious, it can affect the whole community. People talking about it now also allows those who have struggled with addiction to tell their story. “

    “It’s happening all around Ireland. People are afraid to talk about drugs and other addictions so we have to keep fighting to erase the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health,” explained Declan.

    The current national drug strategy, ‘Reducing harm, supporting recovery: a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025’, was launched in July 2017 and its main aim is to minimise the harms caused by the use and misuse of substances, and to promote rehabilitation and recovery by supporting the development of a range of treatment, rehabilitation and recovery services using the four-tier model.

    The strategy also recognises the need for timely access to appropriate services for the client. The integrated care pathways model forms the conceptual basis for the National Drug Rehabilitation Framework.

    The Health Service Executive (HSE), which manages Ireland’s public health sector, is responsible for the provision of all publicly funded drug treatment. The management of all drug treatment services falls under the remit of the Primary Care Division, which oversees a number of national care groups. Drug treatment is provided through a network of HSE services (public), but also non-statutory/voluntary agencies, many of which are funded by the HSE. Some private organisations also provide treatment.

    Most drug treatment is provided through publicly funded outpatient services. These include 314 specialised drug treatment centres, 82 low-threshold agencies and 356 specialised general practitioners, which provide opioid substitution treatment (OST) in the community.

    The latest figures from the Health Research Board (HRB) show that, while cocaine is the third most common problem drug reported to the National Drug Treatment Reporting System, its use has risen every year without fail.

    https://www.hrb.ie/data-collections-evidence/alcohol-and-drug-treatment/latest-data/

    The data shows that while problem cocaine use fell slightly between 2011 and 2013, it has risen every year since. The largest increase is from 12.3% in 2016 to 16.8% in 2017 — an increase of 32%.

    A total of 1,500 cases were treated for cocaine use in 2017, almost double the number of cases in 2011 (770 cases). The number of new cases treated has risen from 396 in 2011 to 748 in 2017.

    The HRB data shows that men account for four in every five cases reporting, while the most common additional drugs reported among cocaine cases were alcohol (58%), cannabis (48%), and benzodiazepines (25%).

    A total of 63,303 cases presented for treatment for problem drug use (excluding alcohol) between 2011 and 2017. The number of treated cases increased from 8,361 in 2011 to 9,892 in 2015, and then decreased to 8,922 in 2017.

    Declan said that there has been a surge in the use of cannabis in the last year. “Cannabis is a big problem, the situation is worsening year on year and we have seen this in the latest stats as well as the people we are trying to provide help and detox to,” he explained.

    HRB chief executive Darrin Morrissey said the latest figures show drug use continues to seriously impact people right across Irish society.

    “This is evident in the latest drug treatment data, as well as the HRB’s recent drug-related deaths and alcohol treatment reports,” he said.

    “Over the recent period of economic recovery, drug treatment trends are changing and the data we analyse from the HRB information systems helps to inform health services provision and the health policy responses to problem drug use in Ireland,” he added.

    Photo: Kim O’Leary

    Meanwhile, D1-S Athy also encourages the individuals who receive treatment at their clinic to also participate in art classes and gardening in the greenhouses at the facility, with the aim of re-introducing them to the local community.

    Photo: Pexels

    “The art classes and gardening in the green houses has been positively received, people are really enjoying creating murals and other creative works in our new rooms at the residential treatment centre. We feel that art and nature can help to erase the stigma associated with addiction and mental health because it shows that everyone has a creative side and we’re working hard to encourage people to let their creativity flow,” said Declan.

    In terms of the current situation nationwide, Declan said that much more needs to be done to tackle the cannabis crisis in particular. And he is insistent that art and nature can prove a welcome distraction to those recovering from addiction or even to keep vulnerable people away from drugs entirely.

    “In rural towns like Athy and even the urban cities like Dublin, drugs are rampant and anyone can become addicted. Also, a lot of people have very full, busy lifestyles that can mean their mental health may suffer so we are seeing people coming in more than ever to talk and get help. This is good because it means things are changing but there’s still a lot more work to do locally in Kildare and nationally as well. The government should really try to support local initiatives and programmes trying to treat addiction and mental health issues, it’s something that the new government coming in should consider,” said Declan.

    For more information on D1-S Athy visit www.d1-s.com

  • Neil Fox – the will of the people can change the cycling landscape in Ireland

    Neil Fox – the will of the people can change the cycling landscape in Ireland

    By Mark Donlon

    When the first bicycle was invented in 1817, few could have imagined its longevity as a mode of transport. But its practicality and the ease of use it offers have allowed it to keep its wheels in motion, right up to the present day.

    It is, however, the bicycle’s place in the 21st century that is in question. Doubtlessly, the two-wheeled mode of transport has changed and developed considerably in over 200 years of existence, but it is other changes and developments in the realm of transport that now render its users more at risk than ever before.

    The city of Dublin is a perfect demonstration of this problem. Its modern-day city centre is a proverbial NASCAR arena comprising of all too many buses, trams, lorries, cars and, somewhere mixed in between, bicycles, all riding around in infinite loops from homes to places of work.

    Of course, some traffic congestion is normal and, to a point, each and every city must deal with this issue. However, Dublin’s remedies for a pacier rat race have not yielded any notable results and a mass of buses and LUAS trams serve only to delay and deter those looking to move throughout the city.

    And so, the merits of bike transport are probably unnoticed in all of this. If Dublin had shifted more emphasis on getting people to saddle up, the gridlock would lessen. But the BikeToWork Scheme has flopped and there is very little in the line of dedicated cycle paths which safeguard the average cyclist from the dangers on the roads. Infrastructure stops short of standards set in other EU capitals, and as a result so does health and safety.

    The issue of cycle safety will not disappear so long as basic requirements fail to be met. Encouragingly, however, neither will its most staunch and energetic activists. Neil Fox, whose sister Donna was killed in a collision with a lorry driver whilst cycling to work in 2016, is one such activist. Neil believes there is responsibility attached to all road users, but that the lack of Government intervention and across the board cooperation on the issue is what keeps this issue troublesome.

    “It is personal responsibility. We all must act well on roads. No laws nor no infrastructure, can force that. It’s up to us,” said Fox.

    “But yes, it is a governmental issue in terms of money, and also property owners need to agree to compulsory purchase of small pieces of gardens or land to widen roads especially rural ones.

    “Infrastructure is down to government, so they do bear the brunt. As for local, county and city councillor’s they seriously need to get backbone and fight for what’s right and not just for votes.”

    Neil has undertaken a serious body of work since he started out campaigning for cycle safety in honour of his sister. While he is well aware of the shortfalls, he does believe so many are pulling in the right direction.

    “I have been privileged to meet so many groups, organisations etc in the last three years. They’ve put up with me when I’ve been bit lost and emotional, but on the whole, I think they’ve understood why I wanted to do something and help.” he explained.

    “I believe every activist every group every organization has the same goal, to improve cycling safety and attitudes towards Cyclists and cycling.”

    Neil also believes that the media have played a part in the continuing awareness around issues of cycle safety and road safety more generally.

    “I do want to pay tribute to the media. I still get media attention -radio, TV, newspapers and online – three years on, and it’s down to a dedication to try and make our roads safer. We can never take it for granted that journalists will cover cycling and road safety issues. They are vital to everything and I really hope Ireland continues to keep strong road safety media coverage.”

    Neil reserves credit for a significant number of politicians from many different parties and doesn’t seek to point the finger solely at the political establishment. Obviously there have only been subtle Governmental flirtations with legislation thus far, but he believes that the onus is on the people to force their hand.

    “The more cyclists there are, the more safety becomes vital. Women and children should be encouraged to cycle in our city. Very few do and it’s out of fear,” he says.

    “I understand that fear, but the more who cycle the more Government and NTA and the Council have to act to provide the safety measures.”

    In the face of all the campaigning, Neil has had to maintain his resilience, and never more so than when he has heard the cynical comments along the way. He says that despite losing his sister from a cycling accident, part of his campaigning creed is to encourage others to cycle.

    “It was very important to me when Donna died to encourage cycling. Many don’t understand that,” he explained.

    “But what hurt a lot were the comments. ‘To cycle is to take your life into your own hands’, ‘women shouldn’t be on bikes, it’s too dangerous’. Donna didn’t die because she was cycling, she died because a lorry killed her.”

  • Irish Rail: Disorder solutions continue to disappoint

    Irish Rail: Disorder solutions continue to disappoint

    By Mark Donlon

    The new live text alert system put in place by Irish rail to tackle anti-social behaviour, was used by 145 passengers between its inception on 16 August and 18 October, new figures have shown.

    The system was implemented by Irish Rail after a considerable rise in the number of complaints logged by passengers over disorder and anti-social behavior aboard trains.

    According to information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, there has been 427 disorderly passenger cases logged aboard Irish Rail services between January 2017 and September 2018.

    The DART accounts for a majority of these complaints, with 120 filed, while the Cork and Galway lines are the most troublesome with 57 and 44 complaints respectively. It is important to note that these figures only account for cases logged owing to disorderly behavior and do not represent the number of overall complaints.

    Previously released figures detailed that there had been over 900 complaints made about passengers aboard Irish Rail trains since 2015. Of that number, 498 complaints were made about disorderly passengers across all routes. This demonstrates an increase in complaint numbers in the time that has since passed, even allowing for an overlap period between the two sets of statistics of the eight months between January and September 2018.

    The older findings were released in early September 2017, and accounted for the 32 previous months dating back to the start of 2015. With the disorderly passenger number at 498, this would have tallied to an average of 15 complaints of that nature a month. The new figures account for the 20 months between January 2017 and September 2018, and with this figure at 427, this would pertain to an average of 21 complaints a month.

    This means that disorderly conduct complaints increased in the 12 months following the publication of the 2017 figures.

    Back in September 2017,  Irish Rail commented that in light of the findings it would look to increase the number of staff on its trains. However, the upturn in complaints would suggest something to the contrary.

    Furthermore, action that is being taken is very recent in the context of the longevity of the problem. Prior to 12 October 2018, Irish Rail only listed six services whereby alcohol was not permitted; two Friday afternoon services from Dublin to Waterford; three Sunday services from Waterford to Dublin, and finally Sunday’s midday train from Galway to Dublin.

    However, when Irish Rail announced bans on further routes from 12 October 2018 onwards, they only added another four services to the list. All were Friday services from Dublin: two travelling towards Galway, one towards Waterford, and one to Westport.

    This underlines the fact that so many of the company’s services are environments where alcohol is permitted. Granted, services to and from Waterford were dealt bans, but between January 2017 and September 2018, the Belfast route had received one more complaint than the number received in relation to the Waterford route.

    This doesn’t seem like a huge difference, but when one route has one rule and the other has another, the difference for a paying customer could be considerable.

    The banning of alcohol is not the true resolution to the matter of disorder on trains, however. Even if it was, it is notable that Irish Rail is nowhere close to applying a no-alcohol policy across the board. And so, this begs the question, what is the solution to problems of traveller unrest aboard Irish Rail services?

    An Garda Síochána’s Press Office said: “Any incidents that are reported to Gardaí are fully investigated. An Garda Síochána regularly provides stakeholders, including transport providers, with Garda Support.”

    As regards the current system in place, all this revealed was that incidents reported to Gardaí are “fully investigated”. It would seem obvious then, that a cohesive text alert system – where all incidents are treated equally, would be useful and reassuring for passengers at risk in transit. However, the new live alert system has been far from thorough since its introduction.

    Many who have used the text alert service have received nothing more than an automated reply, with no indication from Irish Rail as to whether or not action has been taken. Some users have even been advised to pass on their complaint via a 999 call, passing responsibility back to An Garda Síochána, who themselves were only partially involved in apprehending disorderly passengers.

    It appears that a virtual service like the one newly implemented is in fact doing very little to calm the nerves of passengers looking to travel free from danger or disruption. It is not yet clear if many of the 145 people who initially availed of the service had any success from their complaint.

    A spokesperson for Irish Rail alluded to the evasive nature of some of the disruptors: “In some instances, those involved in anti-social behavior may have already left the train or station a short time after the report.”

    With this in mind, Irish Rail perhaps ought to have invested more into increased on-board security personnel instead of an easily manipulated live alert service.

  • “Our right to survive” – rebellion week rages on

    “Our right to survive” – rebellion week rages on

    By Jade Carpenter and Paula Bowden

    “Our future, our lives, our right to survive.” This was the chant coming from the crowd gathered outside Leinster House on Tuesday evening, as Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe’s environmental provisions for budget 2020 were met with a lukewarm reaction from climate activists and members of Extinction Rebellion.

    “Our future, our lives, our right to survive” Credit: Jade Carpenter

    As part of #RebellionWeek, the so-called rebels took to the streets of Dublin to stage sit-ins and protests, calling for action on the climate crisis —but exactly what action are protestors calling for?

    “Reducing cars, reducing traffic, even more bins. We need more recycling bins,” said protestor Sian Conway. “I live out in Kilbarrack and we had a bottle bank bin for ages and now it’s just gone. It’s just not there anymore. I think the government really need to be facilitating people to recycle with more resources.”

    • Protesters Luke Byrne, Sian Conway and Brendan McGlynn
      Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden

    Protestor, Brendan McGlynn, believes the government needs to think big to combat the crisis and halt climate change.

    “I think there has to be a massive active involvement to change the systematic problem that we have in place,” said Brendan. “It has to be across the board a massive change that makes people feel uncomfortable. You have to make people feel uneasy because everyone needs to change, and change a lot.

    • Protester Laura Costello
      Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden

    “I think at the minute the government aren’t really putting all their cards on the table and really going for it, but they need to, because it is an emergency now and it isn’t enough to just push recycling as an incentive we need a massive systematic change otherwise things will just stay the same,” he added.

    “The workers, united, will never be defeated” Credit: JadeCarpenter

    Iryna, a member of Extinction Rebellion, was manning a refreshment tent at Merrion Square providing drinks and snacks for protestors. She told us about their aims for the protest and what action they want to see.

    “Extinction Rebellion’s main goals are; to tell the truth, organise a citizen’s response, reduce fossil fuels and to reduce our emissions completely by 2025,” Iryna said. “Every single person we’ve seen at the sight so far has been so friendly and so supportive and I think they really appreciate what we’re doing. I do believe we’re doing the right thing.”

    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Protester David Larkin
      Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden
    • Photo Credit: Paula Bowden

    Outside Leinster House the focus was very much on a peaceful protest as activists held banners and sang songs late into the evening, taking turns at the megaphone to explain their own reasons for being there. As the Garda barrier around the entrance to government buildings eventually dispersed, protestors cheered and clapped, serenading members of the force with a chorus of “Gardai we love you, we’re doing this for your children too.”

    “Gardai we love you, we’re doing this for your children too” Credit: Jade Carpenter
  • Nationalities of international undergraduate students in Ireland’s ‘Big 3’ Universities revealed for academic year 17/18

    Nationalities of international undergraduate students in Ireland’s ‘Big 3’ Universities revealed for academic year 17/18

    University College Dublin (UCD) has 7,869 international undergraduate students, making up 27 percent of total undergraduate student numbers in that college for the academic year 2017/2018.

    The college had another 21,257 Irish undergraduate students in that time.

    Meanwhile, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has 3,192 international undergraduate students while National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) has 2,467.

    The figures were obtained via the Freedom of Information Act from the three universities.

    According to the figures, the United States is the country with the most students pursuing undergraduate education in these three universities. TCD has 687 US national students; while UCD has 1,753 and NUIG has 812.

    Students from Britain form the highest numbers from Europe attending Ireland’s top universities. The numbers are 506 in TCD; 579 in UCD; and 172 in NUIG. Canadian, French and German students are also attracted by these universities.

    In Asia, countries like China, Malaysia consistently have the most students coming to Ireland for a university education. Notably however, Singapore, a relatively small country, has 226 Singaporean undergraduate students at TCD, the most amount of Asian students in Ireland’s premier university.

    From the African region, Nigeria is the country with the most students coming to Ireland with TCD (33), UCD ( 64), NUIG (73). Its numbers are significantly higher than other African countries. On the other hand, Australia is the main country representing the Oceania region, with 40 at TCD; 77 at UCD; 35 at NUIG.

    The international undergraduate students that come from South America and Africa and Oceania make up the minority of international students.

    The tables below show the top ten nationalities of international undergraduate students studying at each of the universities for the academic year 17/18.

    TheCity has compiled the data received, and categorised the countries into their respective geographic regions.

    For the convenience of categorisation, we labelled countries that are located in the Caucasian states into the classification of ‘Asia’. The geographic location of Russia meanwhile has been much debated whether it is in Europe or Asia. We decided to categorise Russia to Asia, based on its majority landmass being located there.

    The data compiled shows that TCD has the most international undergraduate students coming from Europe (1,583), followed by North America (839) and Asia (645).  

    UCD, with the highest number of total international undergraduate students, has the most students coming from Europe (2,839), closely followed by Asia (2,418) and North America ( 2075). There are 139 ‘unknown’ students which were not categorised.

    NUIG has the most students coming from North America (975). European (792) and Asian (488) nations are the other main contributors for international undergraduate students in the college.

    TCD said: “We benefit from our international collaborations with universities around the world in developing both research links and opportunities for our students to study abroad during their programmes.”

    On the recruitment of students, NUIG said: “NUI Galway has focused its international recruitment efforts on the US, India, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and South East Asia. We plan to target West Africa and South America as part of our next recruitment drive.

    “International students of which there are 3,000 in NUI Galway represents a significant economic contribution to Galway City and its hinterland. This cohort also adds diversity to the city.”

    UCD has been contacted for comment, but had yet to respond at the time of publication.

    The universities examined here are the highest ranked universities in Ireland, according to the QS World Rankings 2019.

    According to the World Rankings, TCD is currently 104th in the world. UCD is 193rd place while NUIG is 260th place.

    The latest data from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), shows that of the overall international students population in 2017/2018, 41 percent comes from Asia; 29 percent from North America; 20 percent from the EU; and 10 percent from the rest of the world.

  • Government responds to ranking of Ireland as worst performing European nation for climate change

    Government responds to ranking of Ireland as worst performing European nation for climate change

    The government is set to invest €4.5 million in tackling climate change after it was revealed that Ireland is the worst performing European country for climate action.

    The UN Climate Conference took place in Poland on Monday, where Ireland was ranked as the 48th out of 56 worldwide countries when it comes to addressing climate issues.

    In response to this revelation, Richard Bruton, Minister for Climate Action and Environment has announced significant funding to make Ireland a ‘leader’ in the battle to halt climate change.

    It is thought that the funding will go towards a number of projects, including the Green Climate Fund, and the Great Green Wall Initiative.

    The Great Green Wall project aims to reduce the impacts of climate change and will increase the resilience of a number of developing countries involved in the scheme.

    When completed, it is expected to improve food security, resilience to droughts, and will abate an estimated 250 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

    It will also generate an estimated ten million land-based green jobs across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.

    In a statement released to thecity.ie, Minister Bruton said: “Ireland is fully committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

    “This conference is about making those commitments stick by agreeing a rule book among all countries so that we are all making progress in a consistent, transparent manner.

    “It is the foundation for moving on in the coming months to see how, acting in solidarity, we can stretch our ambitions beyond what we have committed to. We need to be honest with where we are at so that we get to where we need to be.”

    The statement said: “Multilateral action is the only way to tackle the global challenge of climate change. This funding is crucial if we are all to meet our global ambition.

    “We must support developing countries to adapt and to mitigate against the costs associated with the effects of climate change.

    “This funding is in addition to the supports provided by the other Government Departments involved in international climate action this year and represents a further scaling-up of climate finance provided by Ireland.”

  • This Time I’m Voting campaign aiming to bring people to the ballot boxes

    This Time I’m Voting campaign aiming to bring people to the ballot boxes

    This Time I’m Voting is a campaign run by the European Parliament (EP) in order to encourage European citizens to vote in the upcoming elections.

    The campaign is supported by thousands of volunteers across Europe who are committed to promoting the campaign, and ultimately motivating the public to vote. However, social media is the main platform used to promote the campaign, aiming to attract the attention of young users.

    Sanne De Ryck, EP press officer, said: “It is indeed important for young people to go out and vote as we are all aware that it is now crunch time, that the future of Europe is at stake. Young people have a whole life ahead of them and will face the consequences of the 2019 European elections.”

    De Ryck said social media is ‘part of the answer’ to grab the attention of potential young voters.  

    The campaign has over a thousand volunteers in Ireland and over 88,000 volunteers across the EU, and aims to inspire citizens to campaign for issues they feel passionate about.

    Sarah Buttle, 23, a recent Griffith College graduate, will vote in the upcoming elections and hopes young citizens will do the same. Ms Buttle said: “I would encourage all of my friends to use their vote to help shape the future of the EU. EU issues affect us all, whether it’s migration, privacy or climate change, and having elected MEPs that can voice the Irish opinion, our vote does matter.”

    Ms Buttle supports the This Time I’m Voting campaign and hopes the elections will see a big turnout from Irish voters. She said: “The upcoming elections in the EU need an increased voter turnout, especially within the youth.”

    Jack Moloney, EP press officer for Ireland, said: “Ultimately, we wish to increase interest in European affairs and de-mystify the electoral process. I have often been asked ‘what does the EU do for me?’ or been told that Brussels is too far removed from everyday life. Our active, young and intelligent participants have already begun to communicate on their own behalf why Europe matters to them and I have found it to be truly amazing.”

    The EP also organise events to promote their campaign and on Wednesday December 5, there is a EU pub quiz held in the Boar’s Head pub on Capel Street, Dublin. European Parliament elections take place from 23 to 26 May 2019.