Sir, – It is entirely right that Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl referenced the €336,000 cost of the Leinster House bike shed in his opening address in the Dáil following the summer recess (”Bike shed a ‘profound embarrassment’, Ceann Comhairle tells Dáil”, News, September 18th).
Every taxpayer can visualise the small space required to give shelter to 18 bikes. What none of us can understand, however, is how such a vast amount of money can be justified to provide that shelter.
I am the volunteer founder of a Cycling Without Age chapter in Dodder Valley Park, and a board member of Cycling Without Age Ireland. More than 40 volunteers provide a free service in south Dublin to those who cannot cycle independently. Our mission is to bring the joy and freedom of cycling to as many people as possible from Rathfarnham to Tallaght and beyond.
The youngest passenger to avail of our service was only two weeks old on his spin, and our oldest was 109! We have had passengers recovering from cancer, neurodiverse needs, heart issues and other conditions.
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The amount spent on the Leinster House bike shed could have funded an accessible bike in every county in Ireland, as well as having spare change to provide a permanent home for the two bikes operating in Dodder Valley Park. Instead, we must depend on personal funding and the generosity of a landowner to keep our service alive. –
Yours, etc,
ALAN O’FLAHERTY,
Dodder Valley Cycling,
Knocklyon,
Dublin 16,