Darragh O’Brien has described a judge who said Dublin cyclists were a “nightmare” as “ill informed”. 

Last week in a case involving a cyclist in the Circuit Civil Court, Judge James O’Donohoe complained that, “You never know with cyclists what they are going to do”. 

He added that they have become a “nightmare in Dublin”. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said he did not share the judge’s dim view of the capital’s cyclists. 

 “I think [I have to be] careful [as a] Cabinet Minister talking about the judiciary, but I think the comments themselves were ill judged and ill informed,” he said. 

“I think that all of us have a job, all road users, to respect each other. 

“And as I said there were 14 cyclists who lost their lives last year; there were many motorists lost their lives as well and, indeed, pedestrians.” 

Cyclists wait to cross O'Connell Street in Dublin. Picture by: David Lyons / Alamy Stock Photo.

Today, the Government announced €360 million in capital funding for active travel measures and greenaway. 

It will all contribute, Minister O’Brien argued, to a much improved experience for cyclists. 

“This year alone, we'll be adding another two hundred [kilometers of cycle lanes] and would also support things like training for school kids in particular,” he said. 

“And the cycle training programme, which last year funded about 43,000 primary school kids training them how to cycle appropriately and learning the rules of the road. 

“So, this programme, I think, is really significant in the sense that it gives other options for people and the infrastructure so they can walk and cycle.” 

A cyclist on Nassau Street in Dublin. Picture by: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie.

When asked if he thought cyclists in Ireland would ever feel truly safe, Minister O’Brien said he did think so. 

“We will and we can,” he said. 

“The Irish Cycling Campaign, who I have met on a number of occasions, these are people who are rightly advocating for a better cycling facility, safety for cyclists - that's what this programme supports,” he said. 

“You're looking at dedicated cycle and walkways in urban and in rural areas as well. 

“A lot of the active travel programmes are really the ones that are on routes that people will be going to work or school. 

“And then we've the Greenways programme, which in many respects is more leisure based, but is really significant insofar as tourism offerings.” 

Main image: A split of Darragh O'Brien and a cyclist. Picture by: Alamy.com and Rolling News.ie.