Sir, – I read with disappointment Olivia Kelly's report of the objections of an elder of Howth Presbyterian Church to the installation of bollards to protect people using a nearby cycle lane and the consequent reduction in the space available for church-goers to park their cars ("Right to worship being overtaken by right to cycle, church elder claims", News, January 3rd).
His invocation of a “constitutional right to worship” which he claims is being “overtaken by the right to cycle” through the installation of these bollards is ill-judged and inappropriate. It is of course correct that Article 44.2.1 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom to practise one’s religion. However, it would be truly remarkable if this extended to an obligation on the State to provide sufficient car parking facilities on public roads in the immediate vicinity of every religious building in the country, or indeed anywhere else where people might go to exercise other rights.
It is also particularly striking that the elder professes to “support cycleways”. Indeed, he also acknowledges that parking in the cycle lanes on the relevant stretch of road is already not permitted. However, his opposition to infrastructure that will merely prevent him and other church-goers from parking illegally in the cycle lane suggests that this support for cycling facilities is somewhat disingenuous. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER
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McMAHON,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – This is to support the objection to the questionable preference Fingal County Council intends giving cycle paths over age-long access for Presbyterian Church members to worship. All they have to do is give us the nod to object publicly and we’ll turn up. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’DWYER,
Dublin 16.