A company that has helped to significantly reduce the numbers of staff travelling by car to their place of work at two Dublin hospitals was declared the overall winner of the annual Irish Times Living Dublin Awards yesterday.
Through its work at the Mater and Temple Street hospitals, Vipre Ltd has in one year achieved a 16 per cent reduction in car use among staff.
Úna McGrath, who accepted the award on the company's behalf, said if more workplaces followed in the footsteps of the Mater and Temple Street, congestion in Dublin could be reduced.
Founded in the Netherlands, Vipre has been active in transport demand management for 50 years.The company began working with the hospitals in 2005 and set up onsite travel shops, where staff could get information on alternative forms of transport.
"There is a focus in our services on making alternative transportation options more attractive than car use because this is more sustainable and the way the city development plan is going, this is something that's going to be required by many organisations into the future," Ms McGrath said.
The company received the award at a function in Dublin's Westin Hotel yesterday. The awards celebrate groups, individuals and businesses working to improve the quality of life in Dublin city and county. They are run by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Dublin City Council and are sponsored by The Irish Times. Apart from the overall award, awards were also presented in five categories.
Vipre also won first prize in the business in the community category, while Tógáil Developments, which has overseen the construction of 230 affordable homes in Finglas and Ballymun over the last six years, won the community development award.
Fiona Cormican, director, Tógáil Developments, said it handed over four-bedroom homes in February last year for €165,000 in Ballymun, while smaller houses on the open market would cost €320,000.
But she said the Department of the Environment had "got stricter on land and now we find we're in competition with private developers for land - so it's highly unlikely we will be building any more, which is a terrible shame."
In the culture and tourism category, first prize was presented to Pat Liddy's Walking Tours. The winner in the education category went to Tallaght Travellers CDP for their after-school programme, which encourages young Travellers to stay in education.Tidy districts category: Highly commended: Bulfin Court senior citizens' environmental group; Winner: Arbour Hill Prison
Education category: Primary winner: Rutland Street NS; Post-primary winner: Tallaght Travellers CPD; Third-level: Seen and Now Heard - Finglas for Diversity; Highly commended: Lucan Disability Action Group; Overall winner: Tallaght Travellers CPD
Culture and tourism category:
Highly commended:Emergent Events and Dublin Culture Night; Winner:Pat Liddy's Walking Tours of Dublin
Business in the community category:
Highly commended entries: AIB,Radisson SAS St Helen's Hotel and KPMG; Winner:Vipre Ltd
Community development category:
Highly commended:Sophia Housing, Outhouse Garda, Pearse Street Rejuvenation Committee, The Sunshine Fund, A District Senior Citizens Holiday Programme; Winner:Tógáil Developments Ltd
Overall winner of The Irish TimesLiving Dublin Awards:Vipre Ltd