Kilkenny Active Travel funding boost

Maria Dollard welcomes 1.3m in funding for Active Travel and Climate Adaptation for County Kilkenny

Maria Dollard welcomed the announcement by Minister Eamon Ryan, of almost €1.3 million in funding for County Kilkenny under the July Stimulus package ‘Active Travel’ grant scheme.

Speaking following the announcement, Cllr Dollard said that this was not just a welcome boost for the county’s climate and active travel ambitions but for local contractors and the local economy:

“This was a welcome boost to the ambitions of Kilkenny County Council in reconfiguring our towns and villages towards cycling and walking. This funding will go a long way in making our public spaces safe for cyclists and walkers. In particular we need to be mindful of people with physical and intellectual disabilities who will benefit greatly from quieter and safer public realm and where walking and cycling is afforded an equal footing with the needs of motorists’'.

“The fund includes € 500,000 support for improvement works on Ormonde Street in Kilkenny as well as funding around the county with footpath improvements, pedestrian crossings, cycle lanes and other sustainable mobility measures in Freshford, Piltown, Ferrybank, Thomastown and other projects, totalling almost €1.3 million euro in total.”

Maria's colleague, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan said;

‘’This is a most welcome announcement and an endorsement of the good work of the County Councils in submitting an ambitious programme of works, leading to one of the highest allocations in the country. The pandemic has shown that we need to rapidly transform our towns and villages to make them more pedestrian and cycle friendly and the importance of embedding resilience in our local economies. This funding will go a long way towards supporting that radical change.’’

Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks, Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, commented:

“The Active Travel grant scheme is a very positive initiative which will see communities across the country benefiting from improved and more accessible walking and cycling infrastructure as well as stimulating local employment. The projects included in the scheme can make a real difference to people – footpaths and cycle ways that allow children to walk/cycle to school and to local sport clubs; the dishing of footpaths and pedestrian crossings that improve access to local amenities and links to public transport, and improvements to town and village centres that will support our hard hit retail and hospitality sectors.

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Legislation to Cap Excess Profits for Energy Companies

By Maria Dollard • September 4, 2023

New bill to combat high electricity costs welcomed by Kilkenny Councillor by Liam Kelly O’Rourke Kilkenny People 01 Sep 2023 4:48 PM Kilkenny Green Party Councillor, Maria Dollard, has welcomed the publication of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill. The Bill provides a cap on the market revenues genered by non-gas generators in the wholesale electricity market between December 2022 to June 2023. The estimated proceeds from the cap on market revenues are in the range €80 million to €150 million and these will now be retained and used in the electricity sector to provide financial supports to households and businesses affected by high energy prices. Cllr Dollard, commented: "This is good news for Kilkenny consumers who will see the money collected ring fenced to be returned to consumers who have been paying way too much for electricity for a long time now. We need to support those on the lowest incomes. There’s no doubt some people are being hit harder than others and without access to good insulation, bills can be very high for some, especially older people and people with reduced mobility." Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, claimed the move would 'ease the impact of high energy prices on electricity consumers' and stated he intends to bring this Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas when the Dáil resumes after the summer recess. https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/local-news/1287190/new-bill-to-combat-high-electricity-costs-welcomed-by-kilkenny-councillor.html