Roderic O'Gorman <VoteOGorman1>


Hi, my name is Roderic and I''m running as the Green Party candidate in the Castleknock ward of Fingal County Council in the Local Elections this June.

The Castleknock ward includes:
Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Carpenterstown, Laurel Lodge, Blakestown, Strawberry Beds, Cappagh and some of Mulhuddart Village.

The main issues I will be campaigning on are:
- Proper Planning
- Facilities for young people
- Better cycle paths for commuters and kids travelling to school
- Improving pedestrian facilities across Dublin 15

This is my third time standing for election - I was the Green Party candidate for Dublin West in the 2007 General Election and for the Castleknock ward in the 2004 Local Election

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Hometown
Dublin 15
Roderic O'Gorman's URL
http://www.bebo.com/VoteOGorman1
Member Since
March 2007

Where is the Castleknock ward?
The Castleknock ward includes Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Carpenterstown, Laurel Lodge, Blakestown, Strawberry Beds.
Roderic on: Public Transport
Dublin 15 has some of the worst traffic congestion in the city, and the public transport service is terrible. We need: a) more buses on the 37, 38, 39 and 40D routes b) more bus routes so the one bus doesn't have to serve so many estates c) the Maynooth line to be upgraded to a DART stlyle service d) Metro West to be constructed quickly, but without destroying Porterstown Park
Roderic on: Sites for Schools
We have a major school places crisis at primary and secondary school level. The Department of Education itself already estimates that Dublin 15 needs 4, 000 extra secondary school places, but there are only plans to provide 1, 000 of these. We need to find sites for these new schools immediately and start building. If this means forcing big developers to sell some of their land, so be it.
Roderic on: Fighting Global Warming
Everybody (well, everybody other than George W. Bush) now recognises that human activity is the cause of global warming, and that this warming will have catastrophic consequences for all our ways of life. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide trapping the suns rays around the planet. Ireland, along with many other countries, signed the Kyoto Agreement, in which we promised to cut down on the amount of carbon dioxide we produce. Unfortunately, Ireland is now the third worst producer of carbon dioxide in the world! The politicians currently in power are failing to deal with global warming, but it is going to be my generation who will have to deal with the consequences of this failure. If the Green Party are voted into government after the election, we promise to reduce Ireland's carbon emissions to what was agreed at Kyoto.

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Roderic O'Gorman campaign update 2nd May

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  • Bus strike over!

    I’m very glad that we finally have had a resolution to the bus strike. The reduction of bus services and the complete cancellation of some routes for the past week has caused major hardship for commuters. Hopefully the dispute between unions and management in Dublin Bus has now been fully resolved, though it really wasn’t fair that so many people had to be put at a major inconvenience before the two sides agreed to negotiate.

    Just like thousands of other daily bus users, I had to make alternative arrangements for the week to get in and out of town. Obviously, for those that can afford taxi’s or hackney’s, there was an option. But considering the price of a cab journey from Dublin 15 to the City Centre, I’m sure there were countless commuters who actually missed days at work, particularly during the first days of the strike. It’s a pity that people like this didn’t feature a bit more in the overall coverage of the dispute.

    Speaking of Dublin Bus, the bus I got into town this morning was suffering from a chronic attack of ‘bus flood’. ‘Bus flood’ occurs when someone leaves one of the windows on the upper floor of a bus open on a rainy night and the passangers are greeted the next morning with a pool of water sloshing around the upper floor of the bus. Obviously, due to turns, the water eventually cascades down to the lower level, leaving the entire floor of the bus (and plenty of feet) soaked.

    I suppose I should be grateful that there was any bus at all!!

    0 Comments 593 days

  • Vehicle emissions and hot air

    The news that John Gormley is going to start increasing motor tax on vehicles that have high emissions has created quite a stir. Tom McGurk is most righteous in his criticism in his Sunday Business Post column (is he ever anything else?).

    Personally, I’m delighted to see John is acting early on this commitment contained within the Programme for Government. Rebalancing motor tax onto higher emission vehicles is a first step in fighting climate change. At present our motor tax system is based on engine size. However from next year motor tax will also include an emissions-based system to further emphasise the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.

    Now, while I realise that no one likes to hear about taxes being increased, creating an emission based motor tax system is vital if Ireland is to meet the obligations we have signed up to under the Kyoto Protocol. Those motorists who make the effort to move to low emission or small engine vehicles should be rewarded, while those that do not have to pay extra to reflect the environmental cost of their choices.

    The argument being put forward by Tom McGurk that we shouldn’t act here in Ireland because China continues to pollute is completely bogus for two reasons. Firstly, how can we ask developing countries to reduce their emissions if we aren’t prepared to do the same thing? Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, Ireland has signed up to achieving reductions in our emissions levels under the Kyoto Protocol. If we fail to meet these, we will be fined. An emissions based motor tax system is one method of achieving this.

    If we take Tom McGurk’s advice, not only do we lose any authority in calling for other countries to fight climate change, we will actually be exposing ourselves to even greater risk of major fines.

    0 Comments 593 days

  • My reaction to the Constituency Commission Report

    The report of the Constituency Commission was released this afternoon.

    Like pretty much everyone else in the Dublin 15 area, I welcome the addition of an extra seat to the Dublin West constituency. We are currently massively underrepresented, and like many other people, the Green Party called for an extra seat for the constituency in our submission. However, I do find the decision of the Commission to include a large portion of Swords within the constituency as bizarre. While like Dublin 15, Swords is part of Fingal County Council, I feel there is very little connection between Swords and places like Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown or Castleknock.

    While the old Dublin West constituency did require extra population to justify a forth seat, I think that this would have been better achieved if extra territory had been added along the Navan Road and Ashtown as this area would have much more of a connection to Dublin 15. This was what we in the Green Party suggested in our submission.

    Now that our Dail representation has been addressed, the next step that must be taken is to rebalance the number of county councillors that the Dublin 15 area elects, as here again we are hugely underrepresented. I look forward to the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, rapidly setting up a new Commission to redraw the boundaries of local authority wards in time for the Local Elections.

    Hoever, I’m deeply disappointed that the Constituency Commission had recommend that Dublin loses one MEP for the next Euro Elections. This now leaves Dublin the most under-represented of the Euro constituencies in the country, with over 42,000 more people per MEP than any other constituency. The Commission has shown absolutely no imagination in deciding to go with four 3 seat constituencies.

    0 Comments 620 days

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  • Leona Tuck
    Leona Tuck

    Hi Roderic

    Need your help, last time we spoke was at the young Greens meeting at UCD a few weeks ago.
    Anyway its Environmental week at UCD starting next Monday 27th Oct. That Tuesday were havin a fur farming discussion with students who want to help make a difference, is there any chance you can pop by to give us some ideas? Short notice i know...

    Quick question, im a bit confused about John Gormley granting another hare coursing licence? Is that not breaking 7.1 of the Greens Animal Welfare policy on bloodsports?
    Also I've to do a presentation on why the Kyoto Protocol should be continued..any professional pointers? sorry for bombarding you with this :)

    36 weeks ago
  • University College Dublin Greens
    University College Dublin Greens

    Hey there, just a reminder that we will be in the UCD freshers tent this Monday to Friday so don't forget to pop down to our stand to join up for another fun action packed year and do your bit to make UCD a greener campus ! This years campaign will focus on getting more bike routes and parking spaces for UCD. Come to the stand to find out more..

    42 weeks ago
  • Andy O'Sullivan
    Andy O'Sullivan

    il give u my vote kid supp??

    78 weeks ago
  • Student Action On Climate Change
    Student Action On Climate Change

    Hi Roderic watsup. A quick message about the *mass public meeting* on the campaign tackle Ireland's contribution to climate change.

    On Saturday October 20th at 1.30pm, students and others from all over Ireland will gather in Trinity College for a public gathering, about action to tackle Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions.

    Basically we're getting together students and others from all over the country who care about this issue for a historic event -Ireland's first mass gethering of students on what is probably the most important issue in the world. We'll launch a nation-wide campaign for action on this issue, and we are supported by groups like Friends of the Earth and others.

    This campaign is already making progress - last week our demands were debated in Seanad Eireann. But we need to build a massive movement movement to keep on the pressure.

    Anyway, I hope to see you there, it will be cool. Brings your friends! For more info email environment@usi.ie.

    Thanks

    91 weeks ago
  • Daire Queenan
    Daire Queenan

    Hi Roderic

    No i didnt i was 15 points short but i got my 2nd choice Environmental Sciences in ucd so im Happy:) .

    95 weeks ago
  • University_for the south-east_now
    University_for the south-east_now

    university for Waterford now!!!!

    107 weeks ago
  • Ciarán Ó'Súilleabháin
    Ciarán Ó'Súilleabháin

    So is it selling out- or a good deal!?

    107 weeks ago
  • Clare Herbert
    Clare Herbert

    Congradulations on the deal!

    107 weeks ago
  • Aoife Nevin
    Aoife Nevin

    I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! Hmm...yeah interesting is def the word for it! I can't see how politics is sexy, but hey, whatever floats your boat! Gotta start studying for exams...September is creeping closer and I'm not liking it one bit!

    108 weeks ago
  • Aoife Nevin
    Aoife Nevin

    Hey Rod, shame about the election - would have been great to have you in the Dail! Don't give up though, there's always next time! I was pretty disappointed myself, got all my friends and family to vote green but it didn't do enough :( Anyway, how's life apart from all things political?

    108 weeks ago
  • Queen Of JD
    Queen Of JD

    i managed to get my entire family to vote for u in the election! d15 really is in dire need of some forward planning! i spent my teenage years in hartstown with nothing for people my age to do.

    good look in the future!

    109 weeks ago
  • Kevin Conlon
    Kevin Conlon

    I've a Leaving to sit in about a week or so, and after that, I don't know. Medicine, hopefully, but who knows. You still heading down the murky road of Law?

    109 weeks ago
  • Cíara
    Cíara

    Well done Roderic on the election! Unfortunatly im 13, but id vote for you if i could. wait till 1st years are old enough to vote!

    109 weeks ago
  • Kevin Conlon
    Kevin Conlon

    Hard luck Rod. Just wait until CTYI are old enough to fully appreciate you! Then you'll be in!

    110 weeks ago
  • Declan
    Declan

    Hard luck, you got my number two though!

    110 weeks ago
  • Benny Lava
    Benny Lava

    Well you got my No. 1!!

    Best of luck!

    110 weeks ago
  • Sebastian
    Sebastian

    Joe's got my #1 mate, but for what it's worth you'll have my #2.

    Ages ago, at this Trinity event called "Ireland's future is safe in the hands of...", you spoke as the Green Party rep, and you were so impressive that it was only that day that I began to appreciate the Green's as a viable, electable force in Irish politics.

    Good luck Roderic

    110 weeks ago
  • Win Tickets
    Win Tickets



    The closest we'll get to e-voting this year

    Play the new election game DIY CABINET, create your own ideal government and be entered into a draw to win tickets to this year's ELECTRIC PICNIC!

    Play the game at:

    www.ireland.com/diycabinet

    BEST OF LUCK!!

    110 weeks ago