First of all, welcome to the forum Chris.
I understand your elation on what you have achieved, well done. But I feel I must articulate what Mark Gleeson was trying to say.
For over four years P11 has been communicating with politicians on a range of matters. In 2004 out "extend the DART" site started to bombard TDs in the Dublin, Louth and Kildare areas with emails from people who wanted it to happen. We ran a media campaign to support it. The plan was already drafted by IE and included the extension of the DART to Kildare town and Drogheda. Some TDs, which I won't name requested that their names be removed from it as they were sick of getting the campaign email. In 2005 DART extensions to Balbriggan and Hazelhatch were announced under Transport 21. Our lobbying of Kildare and Louth TDs failed. Now I certainly don't hold this up as a defense of anything Mark said, but it highlights that concise campaigns made directly to TDs doesn't always work.
Over the past 12 months we have worked with a few user groups. We offered advice and then observed their progress. From a P11 experience we have witnessed many promises from IE and a very poor net rate of return. In fact over the years we have attempted to promote, suggest etc many initiatives to IE, none of which came to anything. TDs failed to deliver also.
In the early days of P11 we were known as being very militant. We received much criticism for it. However we filled a lot of column inches in the print media and raised the profile of many issues as a result. By 2005 we had started to engage more with IE, instead of attack, but the false promises came creeping back into the equation. We have learned now that if you get issues into the media (with or without a politicians support) results tend to be more forthcoming. There is nothing like bad publicity for IE, to spur them into action. It has also been proven that if some issues appear on our forum, they are fixed. The CIE group of websites are the number one visitor to the P11 forum. We have the stats to back it up.
In saying all of this, we encourage everyone to write to IE or their local TD in relation to rail issues. However we do realise and from much experience that it is frequently futile. But this is not an opinion that we promote to the detriment of anyone else attempts. I wish everybody well if they are writing to IE or a local TD or even the Minister!
P11 will soon launch its own Newsletter, a new web site and P11 TV on YOUTUBE. We are always available to offer advice and assistance to existing and new user groups.
In relation to the Kildare Line, I personally believe that an amalgamation of user groups under the P11 banner would achieve results far quicker. There is a current view within IE that we are not to be listened to and that is based purely and simply on the fact that we know what we are talking about and don't fall for IE excuses. Its against that background that we have decided to upgrade our PR mechanisms.
I hope this explains where we are coming from without causing offense to those who thankfully take the time to write letters of complaint.
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