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Newspaper Articles: Dublin Bay Ciarán
Cuffe TD and Dharragh Hunt
Who's in charge of Dublin Bay?
(Published
in The Village 6-13 April 2006)
Dublin Bay is under threat. Although the water quality has improved in recent
years, the bay currently faces significant development pressures. Dublin Port
wishes to reclaim land from the sea between the docks and Clontarf, and plans
for more development on the Poolbeg peninsula beside the Pigeon House are on the
cards. The next few years may see thousands of people living on lands currently
occupied by oil tanks and container parks. On the Rock Road, cranes are busy on
the Elmwood site that was once farmed by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Meanwhile the old sea-baths of Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Sandymount and Clontarf
lie derelict and covered in graffiti. All of these factors underline the need to
debate and discuss the current state and future planning of the Bay.
On Saturday 8 April, there is a conference on the future of Dublin Bay in the
Kingston Hotel on the waterfront in Dún Laoghaire. The conference will be
addressed by a number of expert speakers, followed by a cross party debate on
visions for the future of Dublin Bay.
The conference is of particular relevance at the moment, as it emerged last week
that the Dublin Regional Authority is seeking to draft a masterplan for Dublin
Bay. Such a plan could fulfil what a number of expert reports on the Bay have
called for over the last forty years.
Most European coastal cities have a plan or a body whose only function is to
look after the coastal area and amenities of the city. Currently, Dublin Bay is
administered by several Government Departments, three local authorities and a
large number of statutory agencies. Meanwhile proposals by the Government for a
Coastal Zone Management Plan gather dust.
The fractured governance of the Bay has been reflected in its ad-hoc
development. The Bay urgently requires a strategy and vision. At the moment
there are interesting ideas being floated by various groups. Some want a Special
Amenity Area Order for part of the Bay, others feel under-used land could be
used to provide affordable housing. The proposals need not contradict each
other. All groups need to engage in dialogue and this is why the Dublin Bay
Futures conference is necessary. I want this conference to facilitate the first
round of the debate, bringing together all the relevant groups and individuals:
the planners, the conservationists, the developers and the public
representatives.
The passion created by the Dún Laoghaire Baths controversy illustrated the
strong feelings local people have about the amenities around the Bay. That
energy must be channelled into improving the management and development of the
Bay and its amenities. At the very least we should improve public bathing
facilities and give people more of an input into the planning of new
developments.
I want to see a renaissance for the Bay. The sea-baths can, and must be restored
as a resource for all. The plans for a coastal cycle-way deserve funding and
support. Anglers, bathers and boat-owners need better access to the Bay through
providing new slip-ways and bathing facilities. Bird habitats and other wildlife
need greater protection. Industrial areas and oil storage facilities could be
put to better use as a mixture of public and private housing. There is great
interest and a great sense of ownership of the Bay amongst ordinary Dubliners.
People want a Bay that is well-managed.
Those speaking at the conference include representatives from the Dublin
Regional Authority, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council,
Coastwatch Ireland, Birdwatch Ireland, Dublin Bay Watch, Save our Seafront, the
Sutton to Sandycove Cycleway Project and political representatives from all
major political parties. This line-up is reflective of the range of bodies and
groups with a stake in the future of the Bay. Saturday’s conference will
contribute to the debate on how the Bay can be developed in a sustainable and
equitable way.
You can sign up for the day on www.DublinBayFutures.org
Ciarán Cuffe is the Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire
Dharragh
Hunt is Ciáran Cuffe's Assistant |
CiaranCuffe.com