
Dublin's Parliament Street is now traffic free
The area has become traffic free, with the space given over to pedestrians and cyclists.
Advertisement
It comes after several trial runs, and follows in the footsteps of Capel Street directly across the River Liffey.
Cars are now banned from Parliament Street in Dublin's Temple Bar.
Dublin City Council's Claire French said the number of motorists using the route was low.
Ms French said: "It's about 1,500 cars a day, so it's pretty small. Compare that to 23,000/24,000 pedestrians a day who use the street, there's a big difference there."
The area has become traffic free, with the space given over to pedestrians and cyclists.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Planning regulator calls on Kerry County Council to scrap plans for multi-storey car park
The State's planning watchdog has called on Kerry County Council to remove plans for a new multi-storey car park in Killarney which are contained in a proposed revision of the existing Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028. The Office of the Planning Regulator claimed the measure was not consistent with national and regional policy objectives to improve air quality and promote sustainable transport. Advertisement The OPR raised concerns about a policy objective within the proposed variation to the development plan that states the council will 'facilitate the provision of a multi-storey car park in Killarney at an appropriate location.' Council officials have previously identified the existing New Street Car Park in Killarney as a suitable location with estimates a multi-storey facility on the site could provide 516 spaces. It was projected that the three-storey building could deliver a net gain of almost 300 parking spaces at an estimated cost of €12.7m. However, the OPR pointed out that the proposal was being made at the same time that the council considered that there was already sufficient car parking within the town – both on-street and in car parks. Advertisement According to the local authority, there are a total of 1,373 car park spaces in public car parks in Killarney with additional parking spaces available in private car parks and on-street spaces. The OPR noted that there had already been a recent public consultation over a proposal for an additional 139 parking spaces at Green Lawn off Mission Road, Killarney. Councillors in Killarney voted last week by a narrow majority to proceed with plans for the car park near St Mary's Cathedral, despite strong opposition from local residents and reservations by gardaí that it would exacerbate traffic congestion in the area. The variation has been proposed by Kerry County Council to provide a settlement plan for the Killarney Municipal District Area in order to provide a comprehensive local planning framework with clear policies and objectives. Advertisement The council said the proposed variation was also informed by a Local Transport Plan (LTP) which was welcomed by the OPR for promoting a shift from private cars to use of sustainable transport modes. 'This will be essential to achieving national mandatory climate action targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030,' said OPR deputy regulator and director of plans evaluation, Anne Marie O'Connor. However, in a submission to Kerry County Council on behalf of the OPR, Ms O'Connor expressed concern that measures and strategy contained in the LTP have not been adequately prioritised in the proposed variation. She recommended that more explicit policy supports should be given by the council to ensure the use of more sustainable transport modes was encouraged and implemented. Advertisement The OPR noted that it only issued recommendations in response to what it regarded as 'clear breaches' of planning legislation and policy objectives. It also issued a separate recommendation over concerns that zonings for undeveloped lands and existing development in areas that have been identified as being at risk of flooding have not been subject to a justification test. In other submissions, HSE South West claimed the proposed variation does not reflect an in-depth understanding of pending demographic changes and the health needs of an aging population in Killarney and Co Kerry. The HSE said the population in the county was expanding at a rate above the national average particularly in the 50-84 years age groups. Advertisement 'Throughout the document there is no reflection of an understanding of the different requirements that the aging population of Kerry/Killarney is going to pose over the next 15 years,' said HSE integrated healthcare area manager, Julie O'Neill. She pointed out that it is expected that over 20% of the population in Kerry will be over 65 by 2040, while numbers over 85 are projected to more than double over the same period. The HSE has urged Kerry County Council to embed age-friendly principles and guidelines developed for local authorities within the revised county development plan including in relation to transportation, community support and health services and housing. Meanwhile, the ESB called on the council to identify optimal locations for a new substation in the northern part of Killarney as it warned that plans for new housing could go unfilled without such infrastructure. It claimed the electricity grid in the region currently lacks sufficient capacity to support the target of 1,277 new dwellings under the development plan. The chairperson of Killarney Town Retailers Association, Williamm Sheehan, called for a limit on the amount of hospitality businesses on key trading streets in the town. Ireland Kerry farmer tearfully hugs wife as they succeed i... Read More Mr Sheehan, a local pharmacy owner, observed that the proposed variation had claimed that increasing the level of restaurants, cafés and coffee shops in Killarney town centre was important. He also claimed it was unfair for the council to state in the document that the retail offering was no longer the primary reason why people were attracted to town centres due to the increase in online shopping and free delivery. Mr Sheehan said retailers 'want the conditions in place from our local authority to continue to remain vibrant.' Kerry County Council will prepare a revised version of the proposed variation following consideration of almost 90 third-party submissions and observations.


BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Apps cut driving test waiting times by monitoring cancellations at nearby centres
There are apps that can alert you of driving test cancellations, and one can even automatically book a slot for you. If you're looking to get your driving test done as soon as possible, it might be worth downloading the DriveNow app or the DrivingTest Helper IE app. Advertisement DriveNow helps you find earlier driving test dates by monitoring cancellations across all Road Safety Authority (RSA) test centres in Ireland. You can get instant notifications when a cancellation becomes available at your preferred test centres. DrivingTest Helper IE can also notify you of cancellations. As well as this, it can automatically book them for you to ensure you do not miss out on a slot. Its system continuously monitors driving test centre across the State, giving learner drivers the edge in securing earlier test dates. One review of the DrivingTest Helper IE app states: "Helped me get a test within two weeks. Very easy to log in every two hours. Would recommend 100%." Another says: "App is amazing add your preferences and you will get a slot accordingly. And if you have any query's the individuals are willing to answer any questions and are truly very helpful 100% recommend for anyone."


The Independent
7 days ago
- The Independent
Aviva share price highest since 2007 after profit jumps by a fifth
Insurance giant Aviva has said its profits surged by a fifth over the first half of 2025, sending its share price to the highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis. The latest results come as it said its tie-up with rival Direct Line was 'well under way'. The company reported an operating profit of £1.1 billion for the first six months of 2025. This was an increase of 22% compared with the same period a year ago. Aviva said it was driven primarily by growth in its UK and Ireland general insurance business and wealth and retirement. General insurance premiums – how much a customer pays for an insurance policy – leapt by 9% year-on-year to total £4.1 billion across the region. Profits for the division soared by 50% thanks to strong underwriting activity and improved returns of investment in the UK. But this was partly offset by the impact of Storm Eowyn in Ireland, where record-breaking winds cut electricity supplies to hundreds of thousands of homes, schools and businesses. Aviva's share price jumped by about 4% on Thursday to hit the highest level since late 2007, before the global financial crisis. Aviva completed its £3.7 billion takeover of Direct Line last month. Aviva said that merging the two companies was now 'well under way' adding that it was 'moving at speed to improve performance, drive financial benefits and unlock the full potential of the combined business'. Chief executive Amanda Blanc said: 'The combined business is a UK market leader with over 21 million customers, or four in 10 adults, and we are confident the deal will contribute significantly to Aviva's future growth.' Richard Hunter, head of markets at interactive investor, said the takeover will 'further cement Aviva's leading positions particularly in the home and car insurance markets'. He said: 'While car insurance has seen a substantial increase in premiums to the exasperation of many consumers, the space has been affected by both higher average new car prices as well as the costly nature of repairing increasingly complex and technologically advanced vehicles.' Meanwhile Admiral, which sells car, home, travel and pet insurance, also said that its pre-tax profit soared by 69% over the first half of 2025, compared to 2024. This was driven by its UK insurance division winning more sales and customers for motor policies.