The situation with road racing in Fingal has still not been resolved and below is the press release from Fingal County Council released prior to the Balbriggan races outlining their position.
The Balbriggan Cycling Club has been staging cycle racing events on Fingal roads for
many decades. As with other similar event organisers, they have liaised with Fingal
County Council in advance of each years’ races, giving prior notification of race routes,
stewarding and marshalling resources, local access arrangements and so on. A standard
procedure has been followed by all race organisers in this regard and is based largely on
the procedure set down under Section 74 of the Roads Act 1993.
In assessing the race management plan submitted for this year’s Balbriggan Memorial
Cycle Races, scheduled for March 28th and 29th, and having regard to the ever increasing
focus on improving safety on our roads, Fingal County Council formed the view that the
event management plan submitted by the organisers was satisfactory subject to a
temporary road closure (under section 75 of the Roads Act 1993) being in place for the
events. Having such a measure in place would give legal clarity and status to the role of
race marshals and stewards during race events, and would give stewards legal authority
to control race traffic and non-race traffic through the race routes.
A series of meetings were held with the Council and the race organisers and the Council
made every effort and gave every assurance to the organisers that it would fully support
and facilitate the running of the races under a temporary road closure. All
advertisement and administrative fees relating to the road closure application were
waived in this instance by the Council. However, the organisers refused to apply for a
temporary road closure and the Council remains at a loss to understand why. It should
be noted that the Gardai, who had been consulted in relation to the running of the
events, fully supported the Council’s position in relation to the requirement for a road
closure in this regard.
Following on from one of the many meetings held with the race organisers and Cycling
Ireland, it was confirmed by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that
Section 74 of the Roads Act is in fact ‘inoperative’ as it relates specifically to a prescribed
class of race, and no such races have to date been prescribed by the Minister. Therefore,
whilst the procedure which has been followed for several years by all parties in relation
to the running of the races is sound, the role of the roads authority (local authority) in
deciding whether or not the races can take place is effectively stopped until such time as
races are prescribed by the Minister under this part of the Roads Act.
The consequence of this is that road races such as the Balbriggan Cycle Races now
require the agreement of the Gardai, who in this instance have confirmed the Council’s
2 of 2 fingal.ie original position that a temporary road closure is required. Fingal County Council, as the roads authority for the area, will consider applications for temporary road closures under Section 75 of the Roads Act. The normal process involves public notice and
consultation, although an emergency road closure can be considered in exceptional
circumstances.
The Fingal area has a long and close association with road racing and many road race
events are held annually on Fingal County Council roads. The Council facilitates these
events in a variety of ways and fully supports the staging of road races in a safe and
managed environment, having regard to the needs of all road users and locals. Fingal
County Council wants to clearly put on record its full support for the running of the
Balbriggan Memorial Cycle races and other similar events which are traditionally run on
our roads and we will continue to work with race organisers, the Gardai and local
communities in this regard. We are still available to discuss this year’s events with the
organisers of the Balbriggan races.
