DUBLIN could be faced with a severe water shortage by 2050. And as a result, the capital may have to resort to water privatisation.
According to Dr Conor Murphy, a geography lecturer at NUI Maynooth, the capital will be the worst affected by the impact of global warming.
At present, Dublin relies heavily on rainfall - or surface-based resources - for its water supply.
If there is a large scale reduction in rainfall, this could have serious implications for that supply.
"The water supply of Dublin City is very vulnerable to climate change," said Dr Murphy.
"By 2050 we expected to see a 35pc reduction in the amount of surface water available and a population increase of 2.5 million."
"Both factors will have serious implications for Dublin, which relies heavily on surface based resources."
According to a 2003 EPA report conducted by Dr John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth, decreases in river, lake and reservoir levels are likely to occur over the next decade.
The report also pointed to dramatic changes in the rainfall pattern and temperature.
Winter rainfall will increase by up to 10pc while summer rainfall will decrease by up to 40pc in parts of the south and east coasts.
However, according to Dublin City Council, plans to carry out a feasibility study will not be expected until mid 2008.
According Dr Murphy, a twin-track approach is needed to stop the crisis or we will have to resort to water privatisation.
"Population growth coupled with climate change means that if this situation continues there is a real threat of privatisation."
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
Saturday, 30 June 2007
Friday, 29 June 2007
An Bord Pleanala website updated
The An Bord Pleanala website - always a bit clunky - has been updated. It's much more user friendly now, worth a look for anyone interested (www.pleanala.ie).
Surpised to see a photo of a housing estate on the home page, but otherwise the site's functionality is upgraded and more visually accessible.
Surpised to see a photo of a housing estate on the home page, but otherwise the site's functionality is upgraded and more visually accessible.
Tracking latest rail expansions
* NUMBER of Dart carriages has increased from 80 to 154 in past seven years.
* Dart trains are now eight carriages instead of six at peak times.
* Commuter rail carriages increased from 44 to 180.
* New Docklands station opened in March ahead of schedule, clearing the way for expansion of west Dublin commuter services.
* Work is under way on doubling the tracks on the Kildare line, opening up new high-frequency commuter services.
* New rail station opened at Adamstown in April to cater for thousands of new homeowners.
* New rail station at Phoenix Park almost completed. Due to open in September.
* Rail services between Dublin and Cork now run every hour, instead of less than every two hours.
* Some 183 high-speed rail carriages are being rolled out on the Dublin-Sligo route in August and shortly afterwards to all inter-urban destinations.
Irish Independent
* Dart trains are now eight carriages instead of six at peak times.
* Commuter rail carriages increased from 44 to 180.
* New Docklands station opened in March ahead of schedule, clearing the way for expansion of west Dublin commuter services.
* Work is under way on doubling the tracks on the Kildare line, opening up new high-frequency commuter services.
* New rail station opened at Adamstown in April to cater for thousands of new homeowners.
* New rail station at Phoenix Park almost completed. Due to open in September.
* Rail services between Dublin and Cork now run every hour, instead of less than every two hours.
* Some 183 high-speed rail carriages are being rolled out on the Dublin-Sligo route in August and shortly afterwards to all inter-urban destinations.
Irish Independent
Dempsey doesn't know date for Luas missing link
TRANSPORT Minister Noel Dempsey has admitted he does not know when the red and green Luas lines in Dublin will be joined up.
The lack of a link was "dividing up the city", Fine Gael transport spokesperson Olivia Mitchell told him.
She said the urgency of the matter could not be overstated.
Asked when the lines would be joined, Mr Dempsey said, "I do not know." The matter was not completely in his hands nor in those of the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA). There were outside agencies such as the city council which had to be consulted.
Ms Mitchell said it should be a "relatively simple project" to join the lines. The difficulties demonstrated the lack of any kind of a body in Dublin to coordinate decisions and ensure they were made.
The minister said he did not disagree with Ms Mitchell that greater coordination was needed.
That was why one of his first actions in the department had been to ask about the Dublin Transportation Authority legislation.
"I have indicated my wish to have it brought to Government as a matter of urgency and I hope we will have it in the House in the early stages of the autumn session," said Mr Dempsey. It would help expedite projects such as the Luas link line.
Ms Mitchell said she would welcome getting that legislation running and making the Dublin Transportation Authority a body "with teeth".
On delays caused by consulting outside bodies, she said it was time for the consultation to stop since it had been going on since 2005.
There should be no outside agencies but rather a single agency to drive matters ahead. It was essential that the trams could bring people right into the city centre and on to the south side.
The minister said preliminary results of the city council's traffic-modelling exercise were expected in the autumn.
The scheduled completion date for the overall project, including the cross-city link and subject to the statutory approval process, was 2012.
Geraldine Collins
Irish Independent
The lack of a link was "dividing up the city", Fine Gael transport spokesperson Olivia Mitchell told him.
She said the urgency of the matter could not be overstated.
Asked when the lines would be joined, Mr Dempsey said, "I do not know." The matter was not completely in his hands nor in those of the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA). There were outside agencies such as the city council which had to be consulted.
Ms Mitchell said it should be a "relatively simple project" to join the lines. The difficulties demonstrated the lack of any kind of a body in Dublin to coordinate decisions and ensure they were made.
The minister said he did not disagree with Ms Mitchell that greater coordination was needed.
That was why one of his first actions in the department had been to ask about the Dublin Transportation Authority legislation.
"I have indicated my wish to have it brought to Government as a matter of urgency and I hope we will have it in the House in the early stages of the autumn session," said Mr Dempsey. It would help expedite projects such as the Luas link line.
Ms Mitchell said she would welcome getting that legislation running and making the Dublin Transportation Authority a body "with teeth".
On delays caused by consulting outside bodies, she said it was time for the consultation to stop since it had been going on since 2005.
There should be no outside agencies but rather a single agency to drive matters ahead. It was essential that the trams could bring people right into the city centre and on to the south side.
The minister said preliminary results of the city council's traffic-modelling exercise were expected in the autumn.
The scheduled completion date for the overall project, including the cross-city link and subject to the statutory approval process, was 2012.
Geraldine Collins
Irish Independent
Buyer's €350,000 vanishes . . . into thin air
IN a move that echoes the mania at the height of the property boom, a developer has agreed to splash out €350,000 on a plot of air.
The unnamed developer's "unusual" buy is a tract of air between two period houses in Dublin's Sandycove. It came to the market courtesy of the owner of the access road between the houses.
The owner is retaining the road but selling the air above.
It could be developed - if an upper-storey structure were built between the houses and above the road.
The €350,000 price tag on the space of air raised some eyebrows when the property came to the market earlier this year. After all, the air came with no planning permission and the site's owner had bought the access road for just €20,000 in 2005.
However, estate agent Tom O'Higgins of Remax's Dun Laoghaire branch yesterday confirmed that the sale of the property was now agreed for a price "bang on the €350,000 mark".
The site could house a single-storey of 1,500 square feet, but any value to the new owner hinges entirely on securing planning permission for development.
Planning permission for unusual residential developments in south Dublin is notoriously hard to come by these days, and local people living near 21 and 22 Summerhill Road are expected to oppose any plans to develop there.
Mr O'Higgins said the site's buyer had been well aware that planning could be difficult to get. "He knows that a lengthy planning process is involved."
In a previous interview with the Irish Independent, Mr Jones said he was putting the site up for sale "to see what the market would hold at this stage".
Despite his considerable architectural experience he wouldn't consider developing the site himself because "that's not where I'm going with it at the moment".
WHAT THE BROCHURE SAYS
This is an unusual opportunity to acquire a very well located property which has potential subject to planning permission to enhance and further develop.
This opportunity should be of interest to a shrewd investor/developer with the resources to undergo the planning process and create an innovative and cutting-edge property of striking appeal
LAURA NOONAN
Irish Independent
The unnamed developer's "unusual" buy is a tract of air between two period houses in Dublin's Sandycove. It came to the market courtesy of the owner of the access road between the houses.
The owner is retaining the road but selling the air above.
It could be developed - if an upper-storey structure were built between the houses and above the road.
The €350,000 price tag on the space of air raised some eyebrows when the property came to the market earlier this year. After all, the air came with no planning permission and the site's owner had bought the access road for just €20,000 in 2005.
However, estate agent Tom O'Higgins of Remax's Dun Laoghaire branch yesterday confirmed that the sale of the property was now agreed for a price "bang on the €350,000 mark".
The site could house a single-storey of 1,500 square feet, but any value to the new owner hinges entirely on securing planning permission for development.
Planning permission for unusual residential developments in south Dublin is notoriously hard to come by these days, and local people living near 21 and 22 Summerhill Road are expected to oppose any plans to develop there.
Mr O'Higgins said the site's buyer had been well aware that planning could be difficult to get. "He knows that a lengthy planning process is involved."
In a previous interview with the Irish Independent, Mr Jones said he was putting the site up for sale "to see what the market would hold at this stage".
Despite his considerable architectural experience he wouldn't consider developing the site himself because "that's not where I'm going with it at the moment".
WHAT THE BROCHURE SAYS
This is an unusual opportunity to acquire a very well located property which has potential subject to planning permission to enhance and further develop.
This opportunity should be of interest to a shrewd investor/developer with the resources to undergo the planning process and create an innovative and cutting-edge property of striking appeal
LAURA NOONAN
Irish Independent
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Interference in environmental issues angers 'light green' society
Resentment of the interference of Government and big corporations in environmental issues is contributing to a sense of frustration and a lack of trust across all sections of Irish societies, a major new study has concluded.
The study, carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency, sought to draw on a cross-section of Irish society and included environmental activists, civil servants, teachers, large and small farmers, commuters, business people and the unemployed.
The findings are contained in Environmental Debates and the Public in Ireland , one of two books launched yesterday by the Institute of Public Administration.
Author Mary Kelly, a senior lecturer in sociology at University College, Dublin, said there was real sense of anger and disempowerment among local people on issues such as roads, incinerators and commercial projects like the Corrib gas pipeline.
"It was a discourse which pitted 'us', the 'little people', against 'them', 'the big boys', 'the money', especially used to characterise perceived alliances between political and economic interest groups," she said.
Ms Kelly said environmental awareness was becoming more mainstream in the last 15 years, but was surprisingly less prevalent among the under-25s than any other age group. Most people were now "light green", favouring both economic progress and environmental protection.
In Environmentalism in Ireland: Movement and Activists , author Hilary Tovey said the majority of those involved in the environmental movement are from families with a strong tradition of civic involvement. They are usually of a left-wing persuasion but not necessary from a middle-class background, she added.
Ronan McGreevy
© Irish Times
The study, carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency, sought to draw on a cross-section of Irish society and included environmental activists, civil servants, teachers, large and small farmers, commuters, business people and the unemployed.
The findings are contained in Environmental Debates and the Public in Ireland , one of two books launched yesterday by the Institute of Public Administration.
Author Mary Kelly, a senior lecturer in sociology at University College, Dublin, said there was real sense of anger and disempowerment among local people on issues such as roads, incinerators and commercial projects like the Corrib gas pipeline.
"It was a discourse which pitted 'us', the 'little people', against 'them', 'the big boys', 'the money', especially used to characterise perceived alliances between political and economic interest groups," she said.
Ms Kelly said environmental awareness was becoming more mainstream in the last 15 years, but was surprisingly less prevalent among the under-25s than any other age group. Most people were now "light green", favouring both economic progress and environmental protection.
In Environmentalism in Ireland: Movement and Activists , author Hilary Tovey said the majority of those involved in the environmental movement are from families with a strong tradition of civic involvement. They are usually of a left-wing persuasion but not necessary from a middle-class background, she added.
Ronan McGreevy
© Irish Times
Native American Indians visit site of Corrib dispute
WHEN, in 1895, Glenamoy National School was built, chances are that the local north Mayo men who laid the bricks would never have imagined that, over 100 years into the future, that national school - now a community centre - would be playing host to a talk by native American Indians.
But it is the quirks of circumstance - the ongoing dispute about the Corrib gas project in particular - which, last week, brought an all-woman delegation from the Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, Canada to the isolated bogland of north Mayo, connecting once isolated areas to a global network of protest.
The Six Nations are part of an indigenous American group called the Haudenosaunee. In February last year they reclaimed forty acres of land which had been granted to them by the British in 1784 but sold, in 2005, by the Canadian government to a housing company.
Members of the Haudenosaunee set up camp on the land and stopped the bulldozers’ work. A representative from the site of the ongoing land reclamation, Kathy Garlow, said that every day there were confrontations. “Some of us gave up everything we had to stay on the site but that was not a problem because it was our land,” she said.
In April 2006, an armed raid by the Ontario Provincial Police failed to dislodge the people from the land. Although the 150 police used taser guns and arrested people they found sleeping in tents, hundreds of residents of the nearby indigenous reserve turned up and walked the police off the land. Following the raid, barricades were set up around the area on roads and rail lines that prevented any further police action, and severely disrupted the local area and a main national railway line. By June, the Canadian government announced it was buying the land back from the developers.
“Your countryside is very beautiful,” she said to those assembled in Glenamoy, “but if Shell comes through, it’s not going to be that way.”
She added that any protest must remain peaceful. “Being peaceful is also defending yourself. Maintaining a presence is probably the biggest thing,” she said.
One local Glenamoy woman said that it was like hearing “our own story”.
The Haudenosaunee women visited members of the Ross-port 5 and attended the morning protest at the gates of the proposed refinery at Bellanaboy on Thursday. Their tour also involved a meeting at the House of Commons in London with the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, as well as local communities, universities and schools.
Daniel Hickey
© Western People
But it is the quirks of circumstance - the ongoing dispute about the Corrib gas project in particular - which, last week, brought an all-woman delegation from the Six Nations Reserve, Ontario, Canada to the isolated bogland of north Mayo, connecting once isolated areas to a global network of protest.
The Six Nations are part of an indigenous American group called the Haudenosaunee. In February last year they reclaimed forty acres of land which had been granted to them by the British in 1784 but sold, in 2005, by the Canadian government to a housing company.
Members of the Haudenosaunee set up camp on the land and stopped the bulldozers’ work. A representative from the site of the ongoing land reclamation, Kathy Garlow, said that every day there were confrontations. “Some of us gave up everything we had to stay on the site but that was not a problem because it was our land,” she said.
In April 2006, an armed raid by the Ontario Provincial Police failed to dislodge the people from the land. Although the 150 police used taser guns and arrested people they found sleeping in tents, hundreds of residents of the nearby indigenous reserve turned up and walked the police off the land. Following the raid, barricades were set up around the area on roads and rail lines that prevented any further police action, and severely disrupted the local area and a main national railway line. By June, the Canadian government announced it was buying the land back from the developers.
“Your countryside is very beautiful,” she said to those assembled in Glenamoy, “but if Shell comes through, it’s not going to be that way.”
She added that any protest must remain peaceful. “Being peaceful is also defending yourself. Maintaining a presence is probably the biggest thing,” she said.
One local Glenamoy woman said that it was like hearing “our own story”.
The Haudenosaunee women visited members of the Ross-port 5 and attended the morning protest at the gates of the proposed refinery at Bellanaboy on Thursday. Their tour also involved a meeting at the House of Commons in London with the All Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group, as well as local communities, universities and schools.
Daniel Hickey
© Western People
Gormley pledges to release entire file on Lismullen site
Minister for the Environment John Gormley pledged to release to the media the entire file about the national monument found at Lismullen on the controversial M3 route near the Hill of Tara.
Mr Gormley told the Dáil he would release the file in the near future "to ensure the highest levels of transparency and accountability".
He also accused Fine Gael of "sour grapes" after the party's environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd accused him of doing a U-turn on the routing of
the M3 motorway. Mr O'Dowd claimed Mr Gormley had "failed at the first hurdle" and that "his predecessor emasculated the Green Party by going against one of its core values". He added that Mr Gormley had stressed this core value before the election when he said "this controversial motorway must come to an end".
The Minister also announced the first meeting yesterday of a special committee formed at the recommendation of the director of the National Museum "to ensure excavation of the national monument at Lismullen is carried out to the highest and most transparent standard".
Fine Gael is in favour of the current approved route for the M3 but Mr O'Dowd raised the issue last night to highlight the Green Party's acceptance of the route since going into Government, while it was against it in Opposition. Mr Gormley, however, said that "had Fine Gael been in Government it would have insisted on the current route being followed. Fine Gael is not in Government and what we are hearing from it at present is sour grapes and nothing more."
The Fine Gael TD said the Green Party "has betrayed its base", and Mr Gormley had been left "to defend the indefensible from his party's point of view", after the decision by his predecessor Dick Roche to give the go ahead to the controversial route at Lismullen.
The Minister said he first heard of Mr Roche's decision in a text message while he was in the chamber on the day the Government was formed. He had subsequently examined the file on the Lismullen monument and that Mr Roche had followed procedures under current legislation.
The "unequivocal legal advice from the Attorney General" was that "without a change in the material circumstances relating to the newly discovered monument, it is not open to me to review or amend the directions given by my predecessor".
Marie O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
Mr Gormley told the Dáil he would release the file in the near future "to ensure the highest levels of transparency and accountability".
He also accused Fine Gael of "sour grapes" after the party's environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd accused him of doing a U-turn on the routing of
the M3 motorway. Mr O'Dowd claimed Mr Gormley had "failed at the first hurdle" and that "his predecessor emasculated the Green Party by going against one of its core values". He added that Mr Gormley had stressed this core value before the election when he said "this controversial motorway must come to an end".
The Minister also announced the first meeting yesterday of a special committee formed at the recommendation of the director of the National Museum "to ensure excavation of the national monument at Lismullen is carried out to the highest and most transparent standard".
Fine Gael is in favour of the current approved route for the M3 but Mr O'Dowd raised the issue last night to highlight the Green Party's acceptance of the route since going into Government, while it was against it in Opposition. Mr Gormley, however, said that "had Fine Gael been in Government it would have insisted on the current route being followed. Fine Gael is not in Government and what we are hearing from it at present is sour grapes and nothing more."
The Fine Gael TD said the Green Party "has betrayed its base", and Mr Gormley had been left "to defend the indefensible from his party's point of view", after the decision by his predecessor Dick Roche to give the go ahead to the controversial route at Lismullen.
The Minister said he first heard of Mr Roche's decision in a text message while he was in the chamber on the day the Government was formed. He had subsequently examined the file on the Lismullen monument and that Mr Roche had followed procedures under current legislation.
The "unequivocal legal advice from the Attorney General" was that "without a change in the material circumstances relating to the newly discovered monument, it is not open to me to review or amend the directions given by my predecessor".
Marie O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
Gormley appoints critic to advise on Tara site
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has attempted to limit the embarrassment to the Greens over the destruction of a national monument on the route of the M3 at Lismullen by appointing a leading expert on the archaeology of Tara to advise on the excavation of the site.
The last-minute decision of his predecessor Dick Roche to sign an order permitting the road works to proceed after the excavation of the monument overshadowed Mr Gormley's appointment as a Minister.
He was initially criticised by the Opposition for not reversing the order and then for not challenging the advice he received from the Attorney General suggesting that he had no power to overturn it. The order allowed for the destruction of the monument after it had been excavated.
Mr Gormley has now appointed Conor Newman, a lecturer in archaeology at NUI Galway, to a special committee to advise on the excavation of the site which was uncovered during preparatory work for the M3.
Campaign group TaraWatch has welcomed the appointment.
Mr Newman is the author of Tara - An Archaeological Survey (RIA, 1996). In his submission to the oral hearing, he said the Hill of Tara was one of the most important and famous archaeological complexes in the world, and how it was treated would become "the yardstick against which our reputation as guardians of cultural heritage will be judged".
Mr Newman said that from the outset of the M3 project, the route now chosen "was identified as the least desirable from the archaeological point of view" and "the attrition rate on the archaeological heritage will be far greater here than for any other of the proposed routes".
The special committee, which had its first meeting yesterday, is chaired by Finian Matthews, principal officer with the National Monuments Service, and includes Prof Gabriel Cooney of the school of archaeology, UCD and representatives from the National Museum and the National Roads Authority.
The committee has been set up on the recommendation of Dr Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum.
The Minister said the committee would advise on how to ensure that the excavation is carried out to the highest and most transparent standard.
TaraWatch welcomed Mr Newman's appointment but called for his remit to be broadened to allow him to inspect the newly-discovered souterrain complex.
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said a second beehive souterrain chamber has been revealed, and the National Roads Authority could not deny the site is potentially a national monument.
Fiona Gartland & Stephen Collins
© 2007 The Irish Times
The last-minute decision of his predecessor Dick Roche to sign an order permitting the road works to proceed after the excavation of the monument overshadowed Mr Gormley's appointment as a Minister.
He was initially criticised by the Opposition for not reversing the order and then for not challenging the advice he received from the Attorney General suggesting that he had no power to overturn it. The order allowed for the destruction of the monument after it had been excavated.
Mr Gormley has now appointed Conor Newman, a lecturer in archaeology at NUI Galway, to a special committee to advise on the excavation of the site which was uncovered during preparatory work for the M3.
Campaign group TaraWatch has welcomed the appointment.
Mr Newman is the author of Tara - An Archaeological Survey (RIA, 1996). In his submission to the oral hearing, he said the Hill of Tara was one of the most important and famous archaeological complexes in the world, and how it was treated would become "the yardstick against which our reputation as guardians of cultural heritage will be judged".
Mr Newman said that from the outset of the M3 project, the route now chosen "was identified as the least desirable from the archaeological point of view" and "the attrition rate on the archaeological heritage will be far greater here than for any other of the proposed routes".
The special committee, which had its first meeting yesterday, is chaired by Finian Matthews, principal officer with the National Monuments Service, and includes Prof Gabriel Cooney of the school of archaeology, UCD and representatives from the National Museum and the National Roads Authority.
The committee has been set up on the recommendation of Dr Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum.
The Minister said the committee would advise on how to ensure that the excavation is carried out to the highest and most transparent standard.
TaraWatch welcomed Mr Newman's appointment but called for his remit to be broadened to allow him to inspect the newly-discovered souterrain complex.
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said a second beehive souterrain chamber has been revealed, and the National Roads Authority could not deny the site is potentially a national monument.
Fiona Gartland & Stephen Collins
© 2007 The Irish Times
RTÉ appeals mast decision
RTÉ has appealed a decision by Kerry County Council to refuse planning permission to erect a 36-metre transmission mast on the Slieve Mish mountains.
The local authority has refused permission on the grounds that the mast would seriously injure the amenities of the area and the character of the landscape.
RTÉ said the mast would be used to provide digital television to Kerry viewers and it is a necessary upgrade of the old analogue transmission which is expected to be turned off by 2012.
The 36-metre lattice mast, containing a number of dishes, was to be located alongside existing television and mobile phone masts at Knockmoyle mountain, Killeenafinnane Slieve Mish. The location is a well-known beauty spot on a small road between Blennerville and Castle-maine.
In its application, RTÉ said that digital technology cannot be accommodated on the existing masts.
"This site could be described as being part of the backbone of the network and vital for Kerry transmission," the company argued.
The council received objections from local landowners who said that RTÉ had no permission to use their private roadway to access the location.
Following the council’s rejection of the application, RTÉ has referred the matter to the planning appeals board, An Bord Plean·la. A decision on the appeal is expected to be made by October of this year.
RTÉ said that failure to secure permission for the mast will prevent vital digital television services being transmitted and the company described the proposed mast as a vital cog in the RTÉ network.
Alan Healy
© The Kerryman
The local authority has refused permission on the grounds that the mast would seriously injure the amenities of the area and the character of the landscape.
RTÉ said the mast would be used to provide digital television to Kerry viewers and it is a necessary upgrade of the old analogue transmission which is expected to be turned off by 2012.
The 36-metre lattice mast, containing a number of dishes, was to be located alongside existing television and mobile phone masts at Knockmoyle mountain, Killeenafinnane Slieve Mish. The location is a well-known beauty spot on a small road between Blennerville and Castle-maine.
In its application, RTÉ said that digital technology cannot be accommodated on the existing masts.
"This site could be described as being part of the backbone of the network and vital for Kerry transmission," the company argued.
The council received objections from local landowners who said that RTÉ had no permission to use their private roadway to access the location.
Following the council’s rejection of the application, RTÉ has referred the matter to the planning appeals board, An Bord Plean·la. A decision on the appeal is expected to be made by October of this year.
RTÉ said that failure to secure permission for the mast will prevent vital digital television services being transmitted and the company described the proposed mast as a vital cog in the RTÉ network.
Alan Healy
© The Kerryman
Another blow for Poolbeg waste plans
Plans to locate a municipal waste incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula in Dublin received a further blow yesterday as MEPs indicated they were against the site selected by Dublin City Council.
The EU's Petitions Committee met Minister for the Environment John Gormley, city council officials and residents opposing the incinerator and visited the proposed site.
The delegation, which included Irish MEPs Proinsias De Rossa, Kathy Sinnott and Mairéad McGuinness, are investigating whether EU environmental legislation was breached during the site selection process.
The investigation was initiated by an appeal to the committee by Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews on behalf of local group Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI), which claims the site was selected on the basis of inaccurate information.
Mr Gormley said he was precluded from commenting on the proposed incinerator at present because it is the subject of a live planning application to An Bord Pleanála. However, Mr Gormley had, prior to the general election, appealed to the planning board against the project and has long been one of the strongest opponents of the incinerator.
The committee is due to make its recommendation to the EU Commission in September. The recommendation will also be forwarded to the Government. If it is determined that EU regulations have been broken, the commission can issue infringement proceedings, including an order to restart the site selection process.
Meanwhile, contaminated drinking water in Connemara and the environmental impact of the Corrib gas project were among issues raised at the EU Petitions Committee public meeting in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway last night.
The meeting heard that over 1,300 people in Carraroe, Connemara, have been boiling or buying drinking water for over two decades. This is due to continued sewage contamination of the public supply.
Galway County Council has plans to upgrade sewage treatment, following a 2002 European Court of Justice ruling which found it to be in breach of the drinking water directive. However, the environmental impact statement for the upgrade has had to be re-advertised, due to a flaw in the tender.
Olivia Kelly & Lorna Siggins
© 2007 The Irish Times
The EU's Petitions Committee met Minister for the Environment John Gormley, city council officials and residents opposing the incinerator and visited the proposed site.
The delegation, which included Irish MEPs Proinsias De Rossa, Kathy Sinnott and Mairéad McGuinness, are investigating whether EU environmental legislation was breached during the site selection process.
The investigation was initiated by an appeal to the committee by Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews on behalf of local group Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI), which claims the site was selected on the basis of inaccurate information.
Mr Gormley said he was precluded from commenting on the proposed incinerator at present because it is the subject of a live planning application to An Bord Pleanála. However, Mr Gormley had, prior to the general election, appealed to the planning board against the project and has long been one of the strongest opponents of the incinerator.
The committee is due to make its recommendation to the EU Commission in September. The recommendation will also be forwarded to the Government. If it is determined that EU regulations have been broken, the commission can issue infringement proceedings, including an order to restart the site selection process.
Meanwhile, contaminated drinking water in Connemara and the environmental impact of the Corrib gas project were among issues raised at the EU Petitions Committee public meeting in the Ardilaun Hotel in Galway last night.
The meeting heard that over 1,300 people in Carraroe, Connemara, have been boiling or buying drinking water for over two decades. This is due to continued sewage contamination of the public supply.
Galway County Council has plans to upgrade sewage treatment, following a 2002 European Court of Justice ruling which found it to be in breach of the drinking water directive. However, the environmental impact statement for the upgrade has had to be re-advertised, due to a flaw in the tender.
Olivia Kelly & Lorna Siggins
© 2007 The Irish Times
Donegal councillors to relax rules for builders
Councillors have proposed significant changes to the Donegal county development plan in order to relax building restrictions in favour of developers.
A series of meetings began in Lifford last Monday after councillors called for a review of the plan which was adopted last August. A spokeswoman for the local branch of An Taisce said the proposals were "awful".
Monday's meeting between councillors and planners was held behind closed doors and the policy on urban housing was the main topic. The contentious holiday home issue is to be discussed in the coming weeks.
The existing urban housing policy stipulates that developers must demonstrate how housing developments contribute to the future infrastructure and services of a town or village.
A quota system is in place to protect villages from over-development.
"We talked about increasing the quota system," said one councillor. "The council will carry out a survey of each village to establish its housing capacity, then developers can be approached with a view to providing services such as water, sewerage, footpaths and roads."
Councillors are also proposing to relax restrictions on building houses in rural areas and, in addition, a "small builder policy" is being proposed.
Planners have been asked to insert a policy in the plan so that small builders will be allowed to build one-off houses and small housing schemes in rural areas.
It is also proposed to relax restrictions on "ribbon development" and to support "resource-related tourism product development" alongside holiday homes in rural areas.
Cronan Scanlon
© 2007 The Irish Times
A series of meetings began in Lifford last Monday after councillors called for a review of the plan which was adopted last August. A spokeswoman for the local branch of An Taisce said the proposals were "awful".
Monday's meeting between councillors and planners was held behind closed doors and the policy on urban housing was the main topic. The contentious holiday home issue is to be discussed in the coming weeks.
The existing urban housing policy stipulates that developers must demonstrate how housing developments contribute to the future infrastructure and services of a town or village.
A quota system is in place to protect villages from over-development.
"We talked about increasing the quota system," said one councillor. "The council will carry out a survey of each village to establish its housing capacity, then developers can be approached with a view to providing services such as water, sewerage, footpaths and roads."
Councillors are also proposing to relax restrictions on building houses in rural areas and, in addition, a "small builder policy" is being proposed.
Planners have been asked to insert a policy in the plan so that small builders will be allowed to build one-off houses and small housing schemes in rural areas.
It is also proposed to relax restrictions on "ribbon development" and to support "resource-related tourism product development" alongside holiday homes in rural areas.
Cronan Scanlon
© 2007 The Irish Times
EU laws must be upheld, say Greens
The Green Party has said EU anti-discrimination laws must be upheld, following a European Commission ruling against Irish local authorities' practice of restricting planning permission to locals or fluent Irish speakers.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley had not yet received the commission's letter yesterday and his department said it would not be commenting on the ruling until official notification was received.
However, Mr Gormley's party has said its position is that while it does not favour unplanned haphazard development, EU laws guaranteeing equal treatment must be respected.
The EU has ordered Ireland to explain why 23 authorities discriminate in favour of local people. After months of examining the issue, officials believe the rules break articles 43 and 56 of the EC treaty which guarantees freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital.
They examined planning rules in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary north and south, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
These authorities require either residency or family ties to the area before giving permission for one-off houses. Several authorities require that an applicant be employed locally in agriculture.
Mr Gormley has two months to respond to the letter which states: "The commission requests observations from Ireland on the discriminatory aspects of the restrictions, their objectives, and the proportionality of the measures with the objectives pursued." The Green Party yesterday said there was a "fundamental dilemma" because the demand for rural housing vastly outstripped infrastructure and services capacity and unplanned urban sprawl could not be tolerated, but EU laws could not be ignored.
Local authorities yesterday said they would be studying the EU ruling to assess its implications.
Olivia Kelly
© 2007 The Irish Times
Minister for the Environment John Gormley had not yet received the commission's letter yesterday and his department said it would not be commenting on the ruling until official notification was received.
However, Mr Gormley's party has said its position is that while it does not favour unplanned haphazard development, EU laws guaranteeing equal treatment must be respected.
The EU has ordered Ireland to explain why 23 authorities discriminate in favour of local people. After months of examining the issue, officials believe the rules break articles 43 and 56 of the EC treaty which guarantees freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital.
They examined planning rules in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary north and south, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
These authorities require either residency or family ties to the area before giving permission for one-off houses. Several authorities require that an applicant be employed locally in agriculture.
Mr Gormley has two months to respond to the letter which states: "The commission requests observations from Ireland on the discriminatory aspects of the restrictions, their objectives, and the proportionality of the measures with the objectives pursued." The Green Party yesterday said there was a "fundamental dilemma" because the demand for rural housing vastly outstripped infrastructure and services capacity and unplanned urban sprawl could not be tolerated, but EU laws could not be ignored.
Local authorities yesterday said they would be studying the EU ruling to assess its implications.
Olivia Kelly
© 2007 The Irish Times
Gormley heard of Roche's decision 'by text'
ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley first heard about his predecessor Dick Roche's controversial decison on the Lismullen monument near Tara by text message.
He was sitting in the chamber on the first day of the new Dail.
"Neither I nor any of my party colleagues had any prior contact with Mr Roche on this issue," he said.
The decision means that archaeologists will record the monument before it is built over for the M3 motorway.
The minister said that he had examined the department file regarding the directions given to the National Roads Authority on the Lismullen monument and that Mr Roche "followed the procedures prescribed under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004".
He said the unequivocal legal advice from the Attorney General to him is that he cannot amend or review the decision made by his predecessor.
Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd, who raised the issue in the Dail and said his party were supporting the selected route of the M3, criticised the Green Party, saying it had "betrayed its base" on the issue.
However, Mr Gormley said that all he was hearing from Fine Gael was "sour grapes and nothing more" because they were not in government.
He always had the impression that Fine Gael was totally committed to building the road through the Tara-Skryne valley and Mr O'Dowd had confirmed it, he said.
Meanwhile, the special committee established to ensure that excavation of the monument at Lismullen was carried out to the highest and most transparent standard, met yesterday for the first time.
Mr Gormley appointed Dr Conor Newman of the Department of Archaeology at NUI Galway, who is recognised as an expert on Tara, to the committee, which also includes Dr Pat Wallace of the National Museum, Prof Garbiel Cooney, head of archaeology at UCD, and the National Roads Authority.
The minister said he would soon release the file on Lismullen to the media to ensure the highest levels of transparency.
Geraldine Collins
Irish Independent
He was sitting in the chamber on the first day of the new Dail.
"Neither I nor any of my party colleagues had any prior contact with Mr Roche on this issue," he said.
The decision means that archaeologists will record the monument before it is built over for the M3 motorway.
The minister said that he had examined the department file regarding the directions given to the National Roads Authority on the Lismullen monument and that Mr Roche "followed the procedures prescribed under the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004".
He said the unequivocal legal advice from the Attorney General to him is that he cannot amend or review the decision made by his predecessor.
Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd, who raised the issue in the Dail and said his party were supporting the selected route of the M3, criticised the Green Party, saying it had "betrayed its base" on the issue.
However, Mr Gormley said that all he was hearing from Fine Gael was "sour grapes and nothing more" because they were not in government.
He always had the impression that Fine Gael was totally committed to building the road through the Tara-Skryne valley and Mr O'Dowd had confirmed it, he said.
Meanwhile, the special committee established to ensure that excavation of the monument at Lismullen was carried out to the highest and most transparent standard, met yesterday for the first time.
Mr Gormley appointed Dr Conor Newman of the Department of Archaeology at NUI Galway, who is recognised as an expert on Tara, to the committee, which also includes Dr Pat Wallace of the National Museum, Prof Garbiel Cooney, head of archaeology at UCD, and the National Roads Authority.
The minister said he would soon release the file on Lismullen to the media to ensure the highest levels of transparency.
Geraldine Collins
Irish Independent
We're going underground
A NEW €1.3bn tunnel vision for Dublin being unveiled today might raise more than a few sceptical eyebrows and even hearty laughs from stressed-out commuters.
It involves an underground DART running 5.3km in a giant tunnel under the River Liffey between Heuston Station and the Docklands, with stops along the way.
Commuters would be able to take the DART underground through the heart of Dublin city to Christchurch Cathedral.
Throw in DART extensions to Maynooth and Dunboyne and, hey presto, 100 million commuter journeys will have been made by trains instead of cars.
But will it be that simple?
The track record for major infrastructure projects here has not been good. We have two Luas lines that don't meet and massive cost over-runs and delays that clobbered the Luas and Port Tunnel projects, while chronic overcrowding on trains drives commuters round the twist at peak times.
An official project being unveiled today by Iarnrod Eireann and due to go before Bord Pleanala for approval may appear to many to be yet another pipedream.
Like the buses and trains, we wait ages for one, and then along come two or three. We have a raft of plans for Metros and new Luas lines - and now an underground DART through the heart of the city centre under the River Liffey.
Commuters will be waiting anxiously to see if there is light at the end of the tunnel vision for 2015.
However, rail bosses are adamant that the biggest infrastructural project since the Port Tunnel will actually happen, possibly even sooner than the target completion date of 2015.
And the track record of Iarnrod Eireann in delivering new infrastructure and expanding rail services has been very good of late.
The money is there and the underground DART tunnel under the Liffey between Heuston and the Docklands goes out to public consultation today.
Iarnrod Eireann will lodge a formal planning application with Bord Pleanala and start building it in 2010 after the usual Irish-style planning wrangles and compensation claims are sorted.
Linking
The underground DART will run from Heuston Station to Christchurch, on to St Stephen's Green, through Pearse Station, under the Liffey before linking up with the new Docklands station beside Connolly.
The line involves:
* Northern line DART services from Balbriggan and Howth, which will branch off the existing line after Clontarf Road.
* It goes underground at Docklands Station where it connects with the Luas line from Tallaght.
* It continues to Pearse, connecting with what will be the Maynooth to Bray DART line.
* It moves on to St Stephen's Green where it connects with the Luas line from Sandyford and the Metro to the airport.
* The line continues underground to Christchurch and Heuston, linking again with the Tallaght Luas, and intercity and commuter rail services before moving above ground to Hazelhatch in Kildare.
The line will quadruple city rail capacity from the present 25 million passenger journeys annually to over 100 million.
Funding for the ambitious project has been committed by the Government in the Transport 21 programme.
The new line will dramatically increase frequency and capacity for commuters on DART Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines.
The plan includes the extension of the DART to Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Dunboyne.
Rail chiefs are gambling that it will be the single most important piece of infrastructure to convince people to move from their cars to public transport.
Crucially, the new city centre DART underground will link DART, commuter rail, Intercity, Luas and Metro to form an integrated network.
Iarnrod Eireann have yet to decide whether to locate the station directly beneath the River Liffey at the Docklands, with station entrances from both the north and south quays.
Plans for the DART Underground - to be called Dublin's Interconnector - are going on display to allow the public to view station options and routes.
Open days are being held at Dublin City Council's civic offices at Wood Quay on July 3 and 4.
Barry Kenny, Iarnrod Eireann spokesman, said yesterday that the tunnel from Docklands to Heuston Station would complete the transformation of the Greater Dublin area's rail-service capacity.
The Dart station for Christchurch will be located on the High Street area, with three alternative sites on view for the public.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
It involves an underground DART running 5.3km in a giant tunnel under the River Liffey between Heuston Station and the Docklands, with stops along the way.
Commuters would be able to take the DART underground through the heart of Dublin city to Christchurch Cathedral.
Throw in DART extensions to Maynooth and Dunboyne and, hey presto, 100 million commuter journeys will have been made by trains instead of cars.
But will it be that simple?
The track record for major infrastructure projects here has not been good. We have two Luas lines that don't meet and massive cost over-runs and delays that clobbered the Luas and Port Tunnel projects, while chronic overcrowding on trains drives commuters round the twist at peak times.
An official project being unveiled today by Iarnrod Eireann and due to go before Bord Pleanala for approval may appear to many to be yet another pipedream.
Like the buses and trains, we wait ages for one, and then along come two or three. We have a raft of plans for Metros and new Luas lines - and now an underground DART through the heart of the city centre under the River Liffey.
Commuters will be waiting anxiously to see if there is light at the end of the tunnel vision for 2015.
However, rail bosses are adamant that the biggest infrastructural project since the Port Tunnel will actually happen, possibly even sooner than the target completion date of 2015.
And the track record of Iarnrod Eireann in delivering new infrastructure and expanding rail services has been very good of late.
The money is there and the underground DART tunnel under the Liffey between Heuston and the Docklands goes out to public consultation today.
Iarnrod Eireann will lodge a formal planning application with Bord Pleanala and start building it in 2010 after the usual Irish-style planning wrangles and compensation claims are sorted.
Linking
The underground DART will run from Heuston Station to Christchurch, on to St Stephen's Green, through Pearse Station, under the Liffey before linking up with the new Docklands station beside Connolly.
The line involves:
* Northern line DART services from Balbriggan and Howth, which will branch off the existing line after Clontarf Road.
* It goes underground at Docklands Station where it connects with the Luas line from Tallaght.
* It continues to Pearse, connecting with what will be the Maynooth to Bray DART line.
* It moves on to St Stephen's Green where it connects with the Luas line from Sandyford and the Metro to the airport.
* The line continues underground to Christchurch and Heuston, linking again with the Tallaght Luas, and intercity and commuter rail services before moving above ground to Hazelhatch in Kildare.
The line will quadruple city rail capacity from the present 25 million passenger journeys annually to over 100 million.
Funding for the ambitious project has been committed by the Government in the Transport 21 programme.
The new line will dramatically increase frequency and capacity for commuters on DART Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines.
The plan includes the extension of the DART to Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Dunboyne.
Rail chiefs are gambling that it will be the single most important piece of infrastructure to convince people to move from their cars to public transport.
Crucially, the new city centre DART underground will link DART, commuter rail, Intercity, Luas and Metro to form an integrated network.
Iarnrod Eireann have yet to decide whether to locate the station directly beneath the River Liffey at the Docklands, with station entrances from both the north and south quays.
Plans for the DART Underground - to be called Dublin's Interconnector - are going on display to allow the public to view station options and routes.
Open days are being held at Dublin City Council's civic offices at Wood Quay on July 3 and 4.
Barry Kenny, Iarnrod Eireann spokesman, said yesterday that the tunnel from Docklands to Heuston Station would complete the transformation of the Greater Dublin area's rail-service capacity.
The Dart station for Christchurch will be located on the High Street area, with three alternative sites on view for the public.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Department fails to respond to Lough Lein pollution plan
THE Department of the Environment has, for almost three years, failed to respond to a proposal to extend the public sewer in Killarney to the heavily populated environs of the town.
A sewer extension is seen as essential to tackle serious pollution problems in Lough Lein. At present, thousands of one-off houses, as well as several bed and breakfasts and some hotels, in the immediate surrounds of Killarney, are dependent on septic tanks.
Poorly maintained septic tanks are among the chief causes of polluting matter ending up in picture-postcard Lough Lein, according to engineering surveys.
The issue was highlighted, yesterday, at a Kerry County Council meeting for the Killarney area.
Three councillors — Michael Gleeson, Brendan Cronin and Danny Healy-Rae — had separate motions down calling for a sewer extension to the Tralee Road, Aghadoe and Lissivigeen areas.
Kathleen O’Regan Sheppard, who led a deputation of Tralee Road residents to the meeting, asked Mr Healy-Rae to refer the matter to his father, Independent TD Jackie-Healy-Rae, with a view to getting government support.
Tralee Road people had been looking for an extension for 20 years, she said.
Sanitary services engineer Paul Cremin said a brief for a major extension of the sewer — to be known as the Killarney main Drainage Project — had been submitted to the Department of the Environment for approval, in October 2004.
The green light had not yet been granted, but he is being told by the department that approval may be given by the end of this month.
“Once we get approval we will not be found wanting and we will have resources in place,” Mr Cremin added.
The scheme would cater for the expanded urban area of Killarney and surrounding areas including Kilcummin, Beaufort, Lissivigeen, Scartlea, Tralee Road, Tiernaboul, Ballymaunagh and Aghadoe.
Ms O’Regan Sheppard hit out at what she described as a lack of a “can do” attitude in local government.
“It’s incredible that there’s been no follow-through on this urgently needed extension since 2004. Private enterprise would go to the wall if it behaved in that way.”
Ms O’Regan Sheppard urged councillors to continue pressing the Department.
Mr Gleeson, who chaired the meeting, said he could not over-emphasise the importance of the sewer extension which was vital for the “salvation of our lakes”.
Irish Examiner
A sewer extension is seen as essential to tackle serious pollution problems in Lough Lein. At present, thousands of one-off houses, as well as several bed and breakfasts and some hotels, in the immediate surrounds of Killarney, are dependent on septic tanks.
Poorly maintained septic tanks are among the chief causes of polluting matter ending up in picture-postcard Lough Lein, according to engineering surveys.
The issue was highlighted, yesterday, at a Kerry County Council meeting for the Killarney area.
Three councillors — Michael Gleeson, Brendan Cronin and Danny Healy-Rae — had separate motions down calling for a sewer extension to the Tralee Road, Aghadoe and Lissivigeen areas.
Kathleen O’Regan Sheppard, who led a deputation of Tralee Road residents to the meeting, asked Mr Healy-Rae to refer the matter to his father, Independent TD Jackie-Healy-Rae, with a view to getting government support.
Tralee Road people had been looking for an extension for 20 years, she said.
Sanitary services engineer Paul Cremin said a brief for a major extension of the sewer — to be known as the Killarney main Drainage Project — had been submitted to the Department of the Environment for approval, in October 2004.
The green light had not yet been granted, but he is being told by the department that approval may be given by the end of this month.
“Once we get approval we will not be found wanting and we will have resources in place,” Mr Cremin added.
The scheme would cater for the expanded urban area of Killarney and surrounding areas including Kilcummin, Beaufort, Lissivigeen, Scartlea, Tralee Road, Tiernaboul, Ballymaunagh and Aghadoe.
Ms O’Regan Sheppard hit out at what she described as a lack of a “can do” attitude in local government.
“It’s incredible that there’s been no follow-through on this urgently needed extension since 2004. Private enterprise would go to the wall if it behaved in that way.”
Ms O’Regan Sheppard urged councillors to continue pressing the Department.
Mr Gleeson, who chaired the meeting, said he could not over-emphasise the importance of the sewer extension which was vital for the “salvation of our lakes”.
Irish Examiner
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
EU study to put brakes on super-jail
CONSTRUCTION of a super prison in north Dublin could be delayed because the EU Commission wants a detailed assessment conducted on the impact it would have on the environment and local community.
If the Government is forced to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as required by EU law, it could delay construction of the jail by a year - and could sound the death knell for the ambitious plans.
There was confusion last night among the state agencies involved in the prison development as to what was required to meet EU rules.
The Departments of Justice and Environment, and the Irish Prison Service, disagreed on what measures were needed to carry out a full investigation of the site and satisfy the EU.
Fine Gael Justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said Justice Minister Brian Lenihan needed to clarify the position.
"The whole situation seems mired in confusion," he said. "I've been worried about this from the beginning, and I don't want this compounded by total bureaucratic confusion and possibly the courts. They need to clarify the position," he said. An EIA measures the impact major developments have on roads, wildlife, water and the local community.
The lengthy study can take up to a year and it could find that the proposed site is unsuitable. If so, the project might have to be scrapped.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
If the Government is forced to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as required by EU law, it could delay construction of the jail by a year - and could sound the death knell for the ambitious plans.
There was confusion last night among the state agencies involved in the prison development as to what was required to meet EU rules.
The Departments of Justice and Environment, and the Irish Prison Service, disagreed on what measures were needed to carry out a full investigation of the site and satisfy the EU.
Fine Gael Justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe said Justice Minister Brian Lenihan needed to clarify the position.
"The whole situation seems mired in confusion," he said. "I've been worried about this from the beginning, and I don't want this compounded by total bureaucratic confusion and possibly the courts. They need to clarify the position," he said. An EIA measures the impact major developments have on roads, wildlife, water and the local community.
The lengthy study can take up to a year and it could find that the proposed site is unsuitable. If so, the project might have to be scrapped.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Rural housing policies illegal
Over the last two weeks I have received about three calls a day from people asking if the locals only rules in Development Plans in Wexford and Wicklow had been removed. I have also spoken to people who have been refused planning permission on these grounds. All were hoping the rules would be found to be illegal and descriminatory. They have been, but where to next?
Debate about one-off houses is sure to grow to a crescendo now. The basis of how the National Spatial Strategy, Regional Planning Guidelines, Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines and many Development Plans treat rural housing as a policy issue will now need to be reviewed.
Given the extent to which this is being discussed on the ground illustrates how emotive this issue has become over many years. I look forward to watching this issue unfold.
Debate about one-off houses is sure to grow to a crescendo now. The basis of how the National Spatial Strategy, Regional Planning Guidelines, Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines and many Development Plans treat rural housing as a policy issue will now need to be reviewed.
Given the extent to which this is being discussed on the ground illustrates how emotive this issue has become over many years. I look forward to watching this issue unfold.
'Locals only' planning rule illegal and discriminatory, says EU
THE controversial 'locals only' and 'must speak Irish' planning rules have been challenged by the EU as illegal and discriminatory.
A landmark EU ruling yesterday will test the Fianna Fail/Greens coalition as the parties are poles apart on the issue of one-off houses in the countryside.
The move will put serious pressure on 22 local authorities to abandon their 'locals only' policies when granting planning permissions.
The EU ordered Ireland to explain why the 22 authorities discriminate in favour of local people.
The EU Commission has written to the Department of Environment asking it to show how its 'local needs' rules do not break several internal-market rules and are not discriminatory.
After months of examining the issue, officials believe the rules break articles 43 and 56 of the EC Treaty which guarantee freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital.
They examined planning rules in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary North and South, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
These authorities require either residency or family ties to the area before permission for one-off family dwellings is given.
Several authorities require that an applicant be employed locally in agriculture while two counties can insist that an applicant must speak Irish.
The vast majority of EU citizens were unable to claim former residency, family ties or fluency in Irish, said a Commission official.
A 'letter of formal notice' asking how Ireland reconciles the rules with EU law has been sent to Environment Minister John Gormley, who has two months in which to respond.
The letter says: "The Commission requests observations from Ireland on the discriminatory aspects of the restrictions, their objectives, and the proportionality of the measures with the objectives pursued."
The issue is expected to provide one of the first of many expected tests of the Fianna Fail-Green partnership.
Within Fianna Fail many members believe people should be allowed to build on their own land as they see fit while the Green Party favours regulated, sustainable development.
One councillor admitted last night that his local authority was going to have to "revisit" the issue of planning permission to ensure it was not at variance with EU law.
Cllr Dermot Connolly, a member of Galway County Council, said he believed that the EU did not always have the best interests of regions and cultures at hand.
Mr Connolly said local authorities had to have practical measures in place to ensure cultures continued to flourish.
Last year, councillors agreed to make changes to the Galway County Development Plan which meant people in large sections of the county no longer had to fulfil stringent "local" rules when applying for planning permission for a family home.
In Clare, the development plan favours local rural people applying for planning permission.
West Clare councillor PJ Kelly, a member of Clare County Council, said the use of 'locals only' was a controlling mechanism by planners.
Mr Kelly said he agreed with the EU decision and he would be bringing up the issue of revamping the planning laws with the council.
"It's replacement will have to be intelligent, workable, functional and respectable," he said.
Mr Kelly said the moves to restrict planning to locals or Irish speakers had brought the system into disrepute.
In 2005, the Law Society warned that county councils discriminating in favour of family members over planning permissions for one-off rural housing were breaking the law.
The law reform committee of the society informed the Department of the Environment that positive discrimination in some cases breached the Constitution and EU law.
Bernard Purcell and Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
A landmark EU ruling yesterday will test the Fianna Fail/Greens coalition as the parties are poles apart on the issue of one-off houses in the countryside.
The move will put serious pressure on 22 local authorities to abandon their 'locals only' policies when granting planning permissions.
The EU ordered Ireland to explain why the 22 authorities discriminate in favour of local people.
The EU Commission has written to the Department of Environment asking it to show how its 'local needs' rules do not break several internal-market rules and are not discriminatory.
After months of examining the issue, officials believe the rules break articles 43 and 56 of the EC Treaty which guarantee freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital.
They examined planning rules in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary North and South, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
These authorities require either residency or family ties to the area before permission for one-off family dwellings is given.
Several authorities require that an applicant be employed locally in agriculture while two counties can insist that an applicant must speak Irish.
The vast majority of EU citizens were unable to claim former residency, family ties or fluency in Irish, said a Commission official.
A 'letter of formal notice' asking how Ireland reconciles the rules with EU law has been sent to Environment Minister John Gormley, who has two months in which to respond.
The letter says: "The Commission requests observations from Ireland on the discriminatory aspects of the restrictions, their objectives, and the proportionality of the measures with the objectives pursued."
The issue is expected to provide one of the first of many expected tests of the Fianna Fail-Green partnership.
Within Fianna Fail many members believe people should be allowed to build on their own land as they see fit while the Green Party favours regulated, sustainable development.
One councillor admitted last night that his local authority was going to have to "revisit" the issue of planning permission to ensure it was not at variance with EU law.
Cllr Dermot Connolly, a member of Galway County Council, said he believed that the EU did not always have the best interests of regions and cultures at hand.
Mr Connolly said local authorities had to have practical measures in place to ensure cultures continued to flourish.
Last year, councillors agreed to make changes to the Galway County Development Plan which meant people in large sections of the county no longer had to fulfil stringent "local" rules when applying for planning permission for a family home.
In Clare, the development plan favours local rural people applying for planning permission.
West Clare councillor PJ Kelly, a member of Clare County Council, said the use of 'locals only' was a controlling mechanism by planners.
Mr Kelly said he agreed with the EU decision and he would be bringing up the issue of revamping the planning laws with the council.
"It's replacement will have to be intelligent, workable, functional and respectable," he said.
Mr Kelly said the moves to restrict planning to locals or Irish speakers had brought the system into disrepute.
In 2005, the Law Society warned that county councils discriminating in favour of family members over planning permissions for one-off rural housing were breaking the law.
The law reform committee of the society informed the Department of the Environment that positive discrimination in some cases breached the Constitution and EU law.
Bernard Purcell and Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Hotel opens doors to public after €50m revamp
QUEEN Victoria had a 16-course breakfast there and old blue eyes Frank Sinatra reportedly downed many a pint in its bar.
Michael Collins is believed to have hidden out in room 210 there with Kitty Kiernan while his 'Squad' killed the British G men on Bloody Sunday.
And yesterday, after a three-year absence, the public could once again walk the hallowed halls of Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.
In operation since 1828, the hotel closed its doors in 2004 in preparation for an extensive re-development project costing €50m.
The hotel now has 228 bedrooms, an increase of more than 120.
The 4-star hotel also features new conferencing facilities and a leisure centre, including an 18-meter pool. Diners will still be able to experience the most infamous feature of the hotel, the Bay Lounge which housed many celebrities including Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy.
The hotel's loyal clientele gave the makeover the thumbs-up, marketing manager Adrian Malloy said. "The feedback has been extremely positive," he said.
"Many old customers have been delighted that many of the old features have stayed."
Plans for the refurbishment were originally dogged by complaints from An Taisce in 2005.
In an appeal to An Bord Pleanala, it warned that the proposed development would detract from the visual prominence of the protected structure.
Residents of George's Street also made complaints against the refurbishment by developer William Neville and Sons who bought the property for IR£22m in 2001.
However, the planning body ordered only two changes to be made to the original plans - the omission of some balconies and an order to set the new bedroom block further back from the western boundary.
The refurbishment actually brought back many features previously lost, according to Mr Malloy.
"We have kept original features, including the bay lounge. But one of the best kept secrets about this whole development is the return of the Mansard roof.
"The ornate roof had been knocked down in the 1900s," said Mr Malloy, "if you look at the old pictures you see the roof is flat. Now it's back to its former glory."
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
Michael Collins is believed to have hidden out in room 210 there with Kitty Kiernan while his 'Squad' killed the British G men on Bloody Sunday.
And yesterday, after a three-year absence, the public could once again walk the hallowed halls of Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire.
In operation since 1828, the hotel closed its doors in 2004 in preparation for an extensive re-development project costing €50m.
The hotel now has 228 bedrooms, an increase of more than 120.
The 4-star hotel also features new conferencing facilities and a leisure centre, including an 18-meter pool. Diners will still be able to experience the most infamous feature of the hotel, the Bay Lounge which housed many celebrities including Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy.
The hotel's loyal clientele gave the makeover the thumbs-up, marketing manager Adrian Malloy said. "The feedback has been extremely positive," he said.
"Many old customers have been delighted that many of the old features have stayed."
Plans for the refurbishment were originally dogged by complaints from An Taisce in 2005.
In an appeal to An Bord Pleanala, it warned that the proposed development would detract from the visual prominence of the protected structure.
Residents of George's Street also made complaints against the refurbishment by developer William Neville and Sons who bought the property for IR£22m in 2001.
However, the planning body ordered only two changes to be made to the original plans - the omission of some balconies and an order to set the new bedroom block further back from the western boundary.
The refurbishment actually brought back many features previously lost, according to Mr Malloy.
"We have kept original features, including the bay lounge. But one of the best kept secrets about this whole development is the return of the Mansard roof.
"The ornate roof had been knocked down in the 1900s," said Mr Malloy, "if you look at the old pictures you see the roof is flat. Now it's back to its former glory."
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Seabed survey highlights Kerry’s Ice Age history
A MAJOR survey of the Kerry seabed, conducted by a leading research institute, has discovered previously unknown underwater formations off the Dingle Peninsula.
The research vessel Celtic Explorer examined the seabed to the north of the Dingle Peninsula and west of Kerry Head using hi-tech sonar mapping technology and it was working between the Three Sisters by Smerwick Harbour and Brandon Head up until early June.
Initial results have identified a series of previously unknown seafloor features, including an offshore ridge extending in a north westerly direction off the north shore of the Dingle peninsula.
The ridge is five metres high and one kilometre wide with a traceable length of over 10 kilometres. The notable discovery believed to be a glacial feature and possibly a terminal moraine, marks the front of a glacier where rock debris, which was carried along by glacial melt water, was deposited.
The ridge has been dubbed the Slava Ridge after the scientist on the survey who first noted it.
Another prominent feature of the area, according to the researchers, is a 500m to 600m wide trench-like feature, dubbed the Brendan Trench, which orientated east-west and parallel with the shore stretching over 40km. The trench is between 15 and 25m deep and located only 300 to 400m off the coast.
It has been interpreted by the geologists onboard as the seafloor traces of a major geological fault zone. The survey also identified 10 seafloor sediment regions which suggests the presence of a variety of different seafloor ecosystems and the researchers also located six possible wrecks which they are comparing against a list of know wrecks in the area.
This survey was the first such programme since the area was first mapped in the 1800s.
Alan Healy
©The Kingdom
The research vessel Celtic Explorer examined the seabed to the north of the Dingle Peninsula and west of Kerry Head using hi-tech sonar mapping technology and it was working between the Three Sisters by Smerwick Harbour and Brandon Head up until early June.
Initial results have identified a series of previously unknown seafloor features, including an offshore ridge extending in a north westerly direction off the north shore of the Dingle peninsula.
The ridge is five metres high and one kilometre wide with a traceable length of over 10 kilometres. The notable discovery believed to be a glacial feature and possibly a terminal moraine, marks the front of a glacier where rock debris, which was carried along by glacial melt water, was deposited.
The ridge has been dubbed the Slava Ridge after the scientist on the survey who first noted it.
Another prominent feature of the area, according to the researchers, is a 500m to 600m wide trench-like feature, dubbed the Brendan Trench, which orientated east-west and parallel with the shore stretching over 40km. The trench is between 15 and 25m deep and located only 300 to 400m off the coast.
It has been interpreted by the geologists onboard as the seafloor traces of a major geological fault zone. The survey also identified 10 seafloor sediment regions which suggests the presence of a variety of different seafloor ecosystems and the researchers also located six possible wrecks which they are comparing against a list of know wrecks in the area.
This survey was the first such programme since the area was first mapped in the 1800s.
Alan Healy
©The Kingdom
Groups join forces to fight plan for super dump on water site
A GROUP opposing plans to drain billions of gallons of water from the River Shannon to feed Dublin's water supply has teamed up with a Dublin-based organisation who claim the solution to the capital's water problems lie right under their feet.
Members of the Shannon Protection Alliance have joined forces with a group of Dublin activists, who are fighting plans by Fingal County Council to build a super dump on top of an aquifer, which they claim could supply fresh water to the entire Dublin area.
Both groups say they will "vehemently oppose any move by either Dublin City or Fingal County Council to destroy the economy, environment and future sustainability of the Shannon and north Dublin regions".
"It's horrendous that while one Dublin authority wants to import water from over 100 miles away, another is working to destroy a perfectly fine water supply on its doorstep with an enormous landfill," said Gemma Larkin, of the Lusk Nevitt Action Group.
Concerned residents and Fingal County Council are currently awaiting results of an An Bord Pleanala oral hearing on whether plans for a 650-acre super dump at Lusk, Co Dublin, will get the go ahead.
Local Green Party TD and newly appointed junior minister Trevor Sargent is supporting the action group and has himself lodged objections to the proposed super dump.
"The threat of a super dump on this site highlights the lack of consideration for water sources in the country," said Mr Sargent.
"The issue of taking water from the Midlands to supply Dublin also shows up the failure of successive authorities to put a water conservation strategy in place.
"There seems to be a greater focus on where to find new water sources rather than where can we conserve existing supplies," said Mr Sargent.
PJ Walsh, of the Shannon Protection Alliance, said: "Any attempt to extract even one drop of water from Lough Ree or the Shannon will be strenuously opposed."
Dublin City Council (DCC) have set out plans to extract up to 127-billion litres a year from Lough Ree to feed the capital's ailing water supply by 2016.
But Mr Walsh claims this would reduce the volume of Lough Ree, Ireland's largest lake, by 20pc per year and would destroy the local economies of at least 10 counties. "We're not going to compromise one iota on this matter," he said.
Dara deFaoite
© Irish Independent
Members of the Shannon Protection Alliance have joined forces with a group of Dublin activists, who are fighting plans by Fingal County Council to build a super dump on top of an aquifer, which they claim could supply fresh water to the entire Dublin area.
Both groups say they will "vehemently oppose any move by either Dublin City or Fingal County Council to destroy the economy, environment and future sustainability of the Shannon and north Dublin regions".
"It's horrendous that while one Dublin authority wants to import water from over 100 miles away, another is working to destroy a perfectly fine water supply on its doorstep with an enormous landfill," said Gemma Larkin, of the Lusk Nevitt Action Group.
Concerned residents and Fingal County Council are currently awaiting results of an An Bord Pleanala oral hearing on whether plans for a 650-acre super dump at Lusk, Co Dublin, will get the go ahead.
Local Green Party TD and newly appointed junior minister Trevor Sargent is supporting the action group and has himself lodged objections to the proposed super dump.
"The threat of a super dump on this site highlights the lack of consideration for water sources in the country," said Mr Sargent.
"The issue of taking water from the Midlands to supply Dublin also shows up the failure of successive authorities to put a water conservation strategy in place.
"There seems to be a greater focus on where to find new water sources rather than where can we conserve existing supplies," said Mr Sargent.
PJ Walsh, of the Shannon Protection Alliance, said: "Any attempt to extract even one drop of water from Lough Ree or the Shannon will be strenuously opposed."
Dublin City Council (DCC) have set out plans to extract up to 127-billion litres a year from Lough Ree to feed the capital's ailing water supply by 2016.
But Mr Walsh claims this would reduce the volume of Lough Ree, Ireland's largest lake, by 20pc per year and would destroy the local economies of at least 10 counties. "We're not going to compromise one iota on this matter," he said.
Dara deFaoite
© Irish Independent
An Taisce's financial position 'of great concern' as new Chairman appointed
appointed a new chairman to help tackle its financial difficulties.
Charles Stanley-Smith was appointed chairman after a ballot for the position at the organisation's annual general meeting in Galway on Saturday.
Mr Stanley-Smith, a businessman from north Tipperary, took the position from the second candidate, Frank Corcoran, who had been chairman for the previous three years.
The financial position of An Taisce is of "great concern" following a reduction in membership subscriptions by more than 40 per cent in the last two years, its annual general meeting was told.
Eric Conroy, honorary treasurer of the environment and heritage protection told members at its agm in Galway that fundraising must be a key priority for the management board in the coming year. He says it is disappointing to
report on the ongoing fall in membership subscription, down from €116,000 in 2004 to €68,000 in 2006.
It has 12 properties under its protection including Booterstown Marsh in south Dublin, Kanturk Castle in Cork, Gort Weigh House in Galway and An Taisce headquarters at Tailor's Hall in Dublin.
Income from the organisation's education unit, which includes the Blue Flag and Green School projects, has dropped from a high of €140,000 in 2005 to €100,000 last year.
An Taisce's largest running cost relates to its staff: it has 21 full- and part-time employees and last year salaries, wages and pensions amounted to €107,868, almost 50 per cent of the organisation's costs.
An Taisce's corporate sponsorship includes Greenstar, Repak, Coca Cola Ireland, the Wrigley Company and the EU. Some support is received from local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dublin Transportation Office.
In 2006, the organisation made a small surplus, mainly attributable to a legacy bequest of more than €120,000. If it had not been made, An Taisce would have been in "very difficult financial territory".
Mr Stanley-Smith has served as chairman of the education unit in An Taisce in the past and has been a member of the organisation's council.
He currently works as an IT consultant and was the founder of the software company Piercom. He has also served on the Information Society Commission, which advised the Government on information technology policies in Ireland.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr Stanley-Smith said he was pleased and honoured to be elected chairman of the organisation. He said that An Taisce was much like a small company and he wanted to bring some business organisation to it.
"In the next couple of weeks I want to put together a wide-ranging team, steady the ship and see what we should do thereafter."
He said that the drop in funding was partly due to the non-collection of subscriptions and he emphasised the fact that people could now pay online.
"We will be keeping a close eye on expenditure. It is tight, but we believe it is moving in the right direction," he said.
Mr Stanley-Smith highlighted the successes of An Taisce, particularly the Green Schools initiative.
"There are 22,000 Green Schools in the world; 2,500 of those are in Ireland," he said. "We run the most successful Green Schools initiative in the world."
He said that the Government appeared to be taking environmental issues more seriously and he would be looking for an opportunity to speak with John Gormley, the new Minister for the Environment.
"We are not here to tell anyone what to do, but we are always hopeful that we can help," he said.
Fiona Gartland
© 2007 The Irish Times
Charles Stanley-Smith was appointed chairman after a ballot for the position at the organisation's annual general meeting in Galway on Saturday.
Mr Stanley-Smith, a businessman from north Tipperary, took the position from the second candidate, Frank Corcoran, who had been chairman for the previous three years.
The financial position of An Taisce is of "great concern" following a reduction in membership subscriptions by more than 40 per cent in the last two years, its annual general meeting was told.
Eric Conroy, honorary treasurer of the environment and heritage protection told members at its agm in Galway that fundraising must be a key priority for the management board in the coming year. He says it is disappointing to
report on the ongoing fall in membership subscription, down from €116,000 in 2004 to €68,000 in 2006.
It has 12 properties under its protection including Booterstown Marsh in south Dublin, Kanturk Castle in Cork, Gort Weigh House in Galway and An Taisce headquarters at Tailor's Hall in Dublin.
Income from the organisation's education unit, which includes the Blue Flag and Green School projects, has dropped from a high of €140,000 in 2005 to €100,000 last year.
An Taisce's largest running cost relates to its staff: it has 21 full- and part-time employees and last year salaries, wages and pensions amounted to €107,868, almost 50 per cent of the organisation's costs.
An Taisce's corporate sponsorship includes Greenstar, Repak, Coca Cola Ireland, the Wrigley Company and the EU. Some support is received from local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dublin Transportation Office.
In 2006, the organisation made a small surplus, mainly attributable to a legacy bequest of more than €120,000. If it had not been made, An Taisce would have been in "very difficult financial territory".
Mr Stanley-Smith has served as chairman of the education unit in An Taisce in the past and has been a member of the organisation's council.
He currently works as an IT consultant and was the founder of the software company Piercom. He has also served on the Information Society Commission, which advised the Government on information technology policies in Ireland.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr Stanley-Smith said he was pleased and honoured to be elected chairman of the organisation. He said that An Taisce was much like a small company and he wanted to bring some business organisation to it.
"In the next couple of weeks I want to put together a wide-ranging team, steady the ship and see what we should do thereafter."
He said that the drop in funding was partly due to the non-collection of subscriptions and he emphasised the fact that people could now pay online.
"We will be keeping a close eye on expenditure. It is tight, but we believe it is moving in the right direction," he said.
Mr Stanley-Smith highlighted the successes of An Taisce, particularly the Green Schools initiative.
"There are 22,000 Green Schools in the world; 2,500 of those are in Ireland," he said. "We run the most successful Green Schools initiative in the world."
He said that the Government appeared to be taking environmental issues more seriously and he would be looking for an opportunity to speak with John Gormley, the new Minister for the Environment.
"We are not here to tell anyone what to do, but we are always hopeful that we can help," he said.
Fiona Gartland
© 2007 The Irish Times
Lakes contain 20 times cancer toxin limit
IRISH lakes have been found to contain 20 times the recommended World Health Organisation limit of certain cancer-causing toxins — and water purification in this country may not be strong enough to get rid of them.
Researchers from Cork Institute of Technology, backed by the Environmental Protection Agency, studied lake waters and found microcystins which they said can cause “diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness and pallor” and even death in high doses. They can also cause liver cancer, yet are not covered by Irish drinking water regulations, meaning there is no requirement to test for them.
Ambrose Furey, a supervisor of the research, said the tests carried out by the team only related to the water in lakes and reservoirs. Water is treated before it goes from that stage to the tap.
However, he said there is a concern that the level of chlorine currently in Irish waters may be as much as 10 times less than the level necessary to eradicate the toxic microcystins.
The researchers are now hoping to secure funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to spend the next 12 months testing drinking water in every county in Ireland to establish if there is any presence of microcystins in drinking supplies.
They are also advising the Government to begin regulating toxin tests.
“You have to be aware that they are present at certain times of the year and you should test for them,” he said, adding that the bloom is particularly prevalent in summer months.
Mr Furey said water which has evidence of algae blooms which indicate the toxin needs to be tested immediately.
If there are high levels of the toxin in the water it should be left for at least two-to-three weeks and tested again before it is processed for drinking water.
“If you had a larger bloom, the chlorine that exists at the moment would not be enough to decompose the toxin,” he said.
Mr Furey said it also needs to be established how long water is in the reservoir or lake before it is processed, because if it is only there a short time, the chlorine level would have to be higher to rid the drinking water of toxins.
The only study of human drinking water contaminated by microcystins was carried out in China and found that levels of liver cancer there were seven times higher that normal.
Earlier this month, the Irish Government introduced revised regulations which would see local authorities facing prosecution and fines as stiff as €500,000 if they fail to maintain EU drinking water standards.
Stephen Rogers
© Irish Examiner
Researchers from Cork Institute of Technology, backed by the Environmental Protection Agency, studied lake waters and found microcystins which they said can cause “diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness and pallor” and even death in high doses. They can also cause liver cancer, yet are not covered by Irish drinking water regulations, meaning there is no requirement to test for them.
Ambrose Furey, a supervisor of the research, said the tests carried out by the team only related to the water in lakes and reservoirs. Water is treated before it goes from that stage to the tap.
However, he said there is a concern that the level of chlorine currently in Irish waters may be as much as 10 times less than the level necessary to eradicate the toxic microcystins.
The researchers are now hoping to secure funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to spend the next 12 months testing drinking water in every county in Ireland to establish if there is any presence of microcystins in drinking supplies.
They are also advising the Government to begin regulating toxin tests.
“You have to be aware that they are present at certain times of the year and you should test for them,” he said, adding that the bloom is particularly prevalent in summer months.
Mr Furey said water which has evidence of algae blooms which indicate the toxin needs to be tested immediately.
If there are high levels of the toxin in the water it should be left for at least two-to-three weeks and tested again before it is processed for drinking water.
“If you had a larger bloom, the chlorine that exists at the moment would not be enough to decompose the toxin,” he said.
Mr Furey said it also needs to be established how long water is in the reservoir or lake before it is processed, because if it is only there a short time, the chlorine level would have to be higher to rid the drinking water of toxins.
The only study of human drinking water contaminated by microcystins was carried out in China and found that levels of liver cancer there were seven times higher that normal.
Earlier this month, the Irish Government introduced revised regulations which would see local authorities facing prosecution and fines as stiff as €500,000 if they fail to maintain EU drinking water standards.
Stephen Rogers
© Irish Examiner
NRA disputes new Tara monument find on M3
A claim by the lobby group campaigning against the development of the M3 near the Hill of Tara that another potential national monument had been discovered in the path of the motorway has been denied by the National Roads Authority.
In a statement TaraWatch said that archaeologists working for the NRA had uncovered two stone souterrains, or underground structures, approximately 10 metres apart.
Cap stones have been removed and it is possible to see down into one of the chambers, according to TaraWatch.
However, the roads authority said at the weekend that the discovery was not a new one and involved features quite commonly found around the country.
A "souterrain" refers to an underground chamber, often found in the late Iron Age. Activists claim there may be many more underground chambers and passages as the area is being excavated for the first time.
The site lies approximately 80m northwest of the recently discovered henge in Lismullen, which was declared a national monument by Minister Roche.
TaraWatch claimed they had secured the area and would "protect" it by forming a circle around the site while reports are made to the National Museum and the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.
The campaign group believes the find may constitute a "material change in circumstances", which the Minister said he would need before revisiting the issue of whether or not to reroute the M3 motorway.
The organisation has called for all work to cease immediately and said this is the case when a national monument is discovered during the course of roadworks, according to section 14 of the National Monuments Act.
The legislation also requires that the monument must be reported to the Minister for the Environment.
TaraWatch learned of the site while inspecting excavations on Friday evening, after archaeologists went home and left the site unguarded.
Laura Grealish of TaraWatch said that "this is a spectacular underground complex of chambers and connecting passages, with very high quality stonework". Vincent Salafia, also of TaraWatch pointed out that "we are reporting this discovery to the Minister and the National Museum this morning".
"We want to know if the National Roads Authority reported the discovery to the Minister or the museum, and if not, why not? The site is without doubt a significant new national monument."
Meanwhile, the National Roads Authority is becoming embroiled in a wider controversy about its proposal to take over responsibility for more of the roadways around the country
Hitherto, the NRA has only maintained responsibility for all the major national routes.
Details of the latest move, circulated to local authorities, were revealed during the past week in Co Monaghan.
It has led to a decision by local councillors to lodge a strong protest this week with the newly appointed Ministers for Transport and Environment.
© 2007 The Irish Times
In a statement TaraWatch said that archaeologists working for the NRA had uncovered two stone souterrains, or underground structures, approximately 10 metres apart.
Cap stones have been removed and it is possible to see down into one of the chambers, according to TaraWatch.
However, the roads authority said at the weekend that the discovery was not a new one and involved features quite commonly found around the country.
A "souterrain" refers to an underground chamber, often found in the late Iron Age. Activists claim there may be many more underground chambers and passages as the area is being excavated for the first time.
The site lies approximately 80m northwest of the recently discovered henge in Lismullen, which was declared a national monument by Minister Roche.
TaraWatch claimed they had secured the area and would "protect" it by forming a circle around the site while reports are made to the National Museum and the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.
The campaign group believes the find may constitute a "material change in circumstances", which the Minister said he would need before revisiting the issue of whether or not to reroute the M3 motorway.
The organisation has called for all work to cease immediately and said this is the case when a national monument is discovered during the course of roadworks, according to section 14 of the National Monuments Act.
The legislation also requires that the monument must be reported to the Minister for the Environment.
TaraWatch learned of the site while inspecting excavations on Friday evening, after archaeologists went home and left the site unguarded.
Laura Grealish of TaraWatch said that "this is a spectacular underground complex of chambers and connecting passages, with very high quality stonework". Vincent Salafia, also of TaraWatch pointed out that "we are reporting this discovery to the Minister and the National Museum this morning".
"We want to know if the National Roads Authority reported the discovery to the Minister or the museum, and if not, why not? The site is without doubt a significant new national monument."
Meanwhile, the National Roads Authority is becoming embroiled in a wider controversy about its proposal to take over responsibility for more of the roadways around the country
Hitherto, the NRA has only maintained responsibility for all the major national routes.
Details of the latest move, circulated to local authorities, were revealed during the past week in Co Monaghan.
It has led to a decision by local councillors to lodge a strong protest this week with the newly appointed Ministers for Transport and Environment.
© 2007 The Irish Times
Rezone plans put on hold by officials
MOVES by politicians to rezone large tracts of land for housing near Adare are still on hold following the intervention of Limerick County Council planners.
The elected members of the council who have the power to rezone land favour opening up more sites near the village for housing.
However, the council officials ordered a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) fearing over-development could environmentally damage the picture postcard heritage village.
One prized half-acre site was sold last year near the village for €1.3 million.
Auctioneers say an acre located within 10 minutes walk of the village would be worth up to €1m — twice the going rate in adjoining villages.
Councillor Richard Butler who along with other local councils favours rezoning said: “If you starve a community of development land, you will increase the price of it. The council are creating an expensive market which it should not be. Locals are being blown out of the market.
“Even 12 of the local hurling team have to live outside Adare. Young couples form Adare have to move to places such as Newcastle West as they can’t get sites and due to the lack of housing land houses are too expensive when they do come on the market. We are supporting the rezoning of three separate parcels of land.”
He said the council planners were using the SEA as “a stalling mechanism”.
The elected members have an agreement if representatives from one electoral area back a rezoning proposal, all the other councillors support the proposal.
Among those eager to cash in on local land values is the GAA club.
The club has applied to the council to have its five acre playing ground re-zoned for housing.
The plan is to sell it off and use the money to build a bigger facility further out.
Due to increased membership the club says it has a space crisis in its present location.
Limerick County Council planners do not want to see the population of Adare — at 1,300 — rise beyond 3,000 so that the village does not lose its traditional character.
At present the council owns 20 aces of undeveloped land in Adare and does not want any new rezoning to go beyond 75 acres.
The elected members will not be able to press ahead with their proposals until the Strategic Environmental Assessment is finalised and submitted to County Hall for consideration.
Irish Examiner
The elected members of the council who have the power to rezone land favour opening up more sites near the village for housing.
However, the council officials ordered a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) fearing over-development could environmentally damage the picture postcard heritage village.
One prized half-acre site was sold last year near the village for €1.3 million.
Auctioneers say an acre located within 10 minutes walk of the village would be worth up to €1m — twice the going rate in adjoining villages.
Councillor Richard Butler who along with other local councils favours rezoning said: “If you starve a community of development land, you will increase the price of it. The council are creating an expensive market which it should not be. Locals are being blown out of the market.
“Even 12 of the local hurling team have to live outside Adare. Young couples form Adare have to move to places such as Newcastle West as they can’t get sites and due to the lack of housing land houses are too expensive when they do come on the market. We are supporting the rezoning of three separate parcels of land.”
He said the council planners were using the SEA as “a stalling mechanism”.
The elected members have an agreement if representatives from one electoral area back a rezoning proposal, all the other councillors support the proposal.
Among those eager to cash in on local land values is the GAA club.
The club has applied to the council to have its five acre playing ground re-zoned for housing.
The plan is to sell it off and use the money to build a bigger facility further out.
Due to increased membership the club says it has a space crisis in its present location.
Limerick County Council planners do not want to see the population of Adare — at 1,300 — rise beyond 3,000 so that the village does not lose its traditional character.
At present the council owns 20 aces of undeveloped land in Adare and does not want any new rezoning to go beyond 75 acres.
The elected members will not be able to press ahead with their proposals until the Strategic Environmental Assessment is finalised and submitted to County Hall for consideration.
Irish Examiner
Residents ready for court battle to save estate’s green from developers
The people of Bishopscourt in Cork’s western suburbs agreed over the weekend to hire a solicitor to ensure the green space that has put up for sale can never be built on.
The green, which has been used as a public park since the mid-1960s, was placed on the market last week as part of the sale of Number 1, Park Gate Villas on the Bishopstown Road.
Residents were shocked when they learned that title to the green, which they have maintained since the estate was built in the late 1960s, was included in the title to the house, which stands on the corner of the 1.6-acre site.
Property sources have suggested the site could be worth up to €5 million if its new owners secured planning permission on the site.
But at a public meeting at the weekend, residents said the estate’s developer, Denis J McCarthy, provided the green as a public amenity in 1966.
He bought a 10-acre field from the Society of African Missions and drew up plans for the 67-house Bishopscourt Estate.
As part of the plan, he set aside just over one acre as public open space and built concrete paths across it.
Local resident Jim Collins said that even if the green has not been taken over by the council, the spirit of Mr McCarthy’s intention should still be honoured: ‘‘I have no problem with the house sale, but the green must be saved. It is an integral part of our estate.
‘‘I could have bought a bigger house elsewhere in Bishopstown at the time but I chose to buy this house because of the layout of the estate and the green.
‘‘He (Mr McCarthy) has provided the residents’ association with documents he got when he bought his house which shows the green as public open space.
‘‘If we have to go the courts, we have plenty of money to do that and we’ll go to court.”
Kevin Terry, the city council’s head of planning, confirmed last night that while the green does not have any specific zoning designation, there is a presumption against development on such sites.
City manager Joe Gavin has also said that while any new owner of the site could apply for planning permission, the fact the site has been used as a public park for almost four decades would be taken into account by planners when arriving at a decision.
Irish Examiner
The green, which has been used as a public park since the mid-1960s, was placed on the market last week as part of the sale of Number 1, Park Gate Villas on the Bishopstown Road.
Residents were shocked when they learned that title to the green, which they have maintained since the estate was built in the late 1960s, was included in the title to the house, which stands on the corner of the 1.6-acre site.
Property sources have suggested the site could be worth up to €5 million if its new owners secured planning permission on the site.
But at a public meeting at the weekend, residents said the estate’s developer, Denis J McCarthy, provided the green as a public amenity in 1966.
He bought a 10-acre field from the Society of African Missions and drew up plans for the 67-house Bishopscourt Estate.
As part of the plan, he set aside just over one acre as public open space and built concrete paths across it.
Local resident Jim Collins said that even if the green has not been taken over by the council, the spirit of Mr McCarthy’s intention should still be honoured: ‘‘I have no problem with the house sale, but the green must be saved. It is an integral part of our estate.
‘‘I could have bought a bigger house elsewhere in Bishopstown at the time but I chose to buy this house because of the layout of the estate and the green.
‘‘He (Mr McCarthy) has provided the residents’ association with documents he got when he bought his house which shows the green as public open space.
‘‘If we have to go the courts, we have plenty of money to do that and we’ll go to court.”
Kevin Terry, the city council’s head of planning, confirmed last night that while the green does not have any specific zoning designation, there is a presumption against development on such sites.
City manager Joe Gavin has also said that while any new owner of the site could apply for planning permission, the fact the site has been used as a public park for almost four decades would be taken into account by planners when arriving at a decision.
Irish Examiner
Traffic issues to determine €30m town project
A NUMBER of key traffic issues will have to be resolved in Tralee before a €30 million project goes to the planning stage, it emerged yesterday.
Proposals have been drafted for a conference and exhibition centre at Fels Point, Tralee. Behind the venture is developer Liam Carroll, owner of the Fels Point Hotel.
Tralee, however, has chronic traffic/parking problems and measures will have to be introduced to improve the situation.
Recently, traffic in Tralee was almost brought to a standstill when about 2,000 farmers came to town for the annual meeting of Kerry Co-op.
There are plans for a ring road but it looks as if it will not be built for many years to come. Members of Tralee Town Council have been shown Mr Carroll’s plans which are for a site next to the hotel.
The three-storey complex would include a 3,800-seat conference and entertainment centre, which would be capable of drawing high profile events.
It is also possible the annual Rose of Tralee festival would be held there. This year’s festival will be based at the Fels Point Hotel.
In Killarney, property developer and businessman Pat Duggan has plans to revitalise High Street for shopping.
His €20m proposal is for a four-storey retail and parking complex which would involve the demolition of a bar and the former Hilliard’s shoe factory building. A 260-space car park is also included.
In recent years, all of the substantial new shopping developments in Killarney have been in out-of-town locations.
Irish Examiner
Proposals have been drafted for a conference and exhibition centre at Fels Point, Tralee. Behind the venture is developer Liam Carroll, owner of the Fels Point Hotel.
Tralee, however, has chronic traffic/parking problems and measures will have to be introduced to improve the situation.
Recently, traffic in Tralee was almost brought to a standstill when about 2,000 farmers came to town for the annual meeting of Kerry Co-op.
There are plans for a ring road but it looks as if it will not be built for many years to come. Members of Tralee Town Council have been shown Mr Carroll’s plans which are for a site next to the hotel.
The three-storey complex would include a 3,800-seat conference and entertainment centre, which would be capable of drawing high profile events.
It is also possible the annual Rose of Tralee festival would be held there. This year’s festival will be based at the Fels Point Hotel.
In Killarney, property developer and businessman Pat Duggan has plans to revitalise High Street for shopping.
His €20m proposal is for a four-storey retail and parking complex which would involve the demolition of a bar and the former Hilliard’s shoe factory building. A 260-space car park is also included.
In recent years, all of the substantial new shopping developments in Killarney have been in out-of-town locations.
Irish Examiner
Limerick regeneration chief takes up post
THE man charged with regenerating crime-ridden parts of Limerick city took up his new post yesterday pledging immediate action.
Brendan Kenny, the new chief executive of the two regeneration boards for Southill and Moyross said his boards will set out straight away to draw up two master plans.
And he promised people in the areas they are setting out to change for the better, and will see action on the ground sooner rather than later.
Mr Kenny said: “I would hope we will have some interventions for early wins. Otherwise people will feel it’s just the same again. For credibility we will have to have early wins.”
Mr Kenny said two separate vision documents will be a priority.
He added: “These should be strong documents and give hope to people who wouldn’t have hope.”
Up to last week Mr Kenny, as Assistant Dublin City Manager was in charge of huge urban renewal projects in deprived parts of Dublin with budgets of €5.5bn.
His two new boards will meet for the first time tomorrow in Moyross and Southill and will be chaired by John Fitzgerald the former Dublin city manager who was called in by the government to carry out a report to tackle social exclusion in Moyross and Southill.
Mr Kenny said he had tackled housing and social issues in areas of Dublin such as Ballymun and Fatima Mansions.
He said: “Regeneration would be a big issue for me over the past four or five years and I hope to bring this kind of experience to Limerick.”
Mr Kenny said the total demolition of huge numbers of vandalised houses had already got under way.
Refurbishment of these buildings was not an option, he said.
“A more comprehensive job is needed to today and that is what is required in Limerick. Houses with their roofs burned out do not create the right environment,” he said.
Speaking from his office at the enterprise park located in the old Krupps factory, Mr Kenny said crucial issues which needed to be tackled included crime, child welfare, health and education.
At present he is putting together two action teams which will take responsibility for implementing the master plans.
He intends to have the two master plans agreed by October and these will be translate aspirations of the Fitzgerald report into specific programmes of action.
Irish Examiner
Brendan Kenny, the new chief executive of the two regeneration boards for Southill and Moyross said his boards will set out straight away to draw up two master plans.
And he promised people in the areas they are setting out to change for the better, and will see action on the ground sooner rather than later.
Mr Kenny said: “I would hope we will have some interventions for early wins. Otherwise people will feel it’s just the same again. For credibility we will have to have early wins.”
Mr Kenny said two separate vision documents will be a priority.
He added: “These should be strong documents and give hope to people who wouldn’t have hope.”
Up to last week Mr Kenny, as Assistant Dublin City Manager was in charge of huge urban renewal projects in deprived parts of Dublin with budgets of €5.5bn.
His two new boards will meet for the first time tomorrow in Moyross and Southill and will be chaired by John Fitzgerald the former Dublin city manager who was called in by the government to carry out a report to tackle social exclusion in Moyross and Southill.
Mr Kenny said he had tackled housing and social issues in areas of Dublin such as Ballymun and Fatima Mansions.
He said: “Regeneration would be a big issue for me over the past four or five years and I hope to bring this kind of experience to Limerick.”
Mr Kenny said the total demolition of huge numbers of vandalised houses had already got under way.
Refurbishment of these buildings was not an option, he said.
“A more comprehensive job is needed to today and that is what is required in Limerick. Houses with their roofs burned out do not create the right environment,” he said.
Speaking from his office at the enterprise park located in the old Krupps factory, Mr Kenny said crucial issues which needed to be tackled included crime, child welfare, health and education.
At present he is putting together two action teams which will take responsibility for implementing the master plans.
He intends to have the two master plans agreed by October and these will be translate aspirations of the Fitzgerald report into specific programmes of action.
Irish Examiner
Monday, 25 June 2007
Coming up - world's first 'zero-carbon' city
The world's first attempt to create a zero-carbon, zero-waste city has been officially launched in Abu Dhabi.
The new six square kilometer energy, science and technology community will open in late 2009. The development is a unique, integrated 'Green Community' in the heart of Abu Dhabi, which uses the traditional planning principals of a walled city, together with existing technologies to achieve a zero-carbon and zero-waste sustainable development.
The city will house -
* the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology - the graduate science and research Institute currently being established in cooperation with MIT;
* research facilities;
* world-class laboratories;
* commercial space for related-sector companies;
* light manufacturing facilities - and
* a carefully selected pool of international tenants, who will invest, develop and commercialise advanced energy technologies.
The city will also host Masdar's offices and residential space for employees, as well as a science museum and edutainment facilities.
Masdar CEO, Sultan Al Jaber explained - "There is nothing like this in the world. We are creating a synergetic environment - it is a true alternative energy cluster. Here you will find researchers, students, scientists, business investment professionals and policy makers - all within the same community.
"It will be a living example of sustainable development that will position Abu Dhabi and Masdar at the forefront of intelligent resource utilisation. It will combine the talent, expertise and resources to enable the technological breakthroughs necessary for truly sustainable development."
Rooted in a zero-carbon ambition, the city will be car-free, powered by renewable energy with services digitally managed and providing real-time information. With a maximum distance of 200m to the nearest transport link and amenities, the compact network of streets will encourage walking and is complemented by a personalised rapid transport system.
Shaded walkways and narrow streets will create a pedestrian-friendly environment in the context of Abu Dhabi's extreme climate. Surrounding land will contain wind, photovoltaic farms, research fields and plantations - enabling the city to be entirely self-sustaining.
The city will provide up to 1,500 companies with an attractive package of incentives - including a one-stop-shop program of government services, transparent laws, 100% foreign ownership, tax-free environment, intellectual property protection and proximity to nearby manufactures, suppliers and markets.
Sultan Al Jaber added - "By attempting the first carbon-neutral city in the world, Masdar is demonstrating its commitment to change the way the world understands energy and sustainable resource utilisation. One day, all cities will be built like this."
The new six square kilometer energy, science and technology community will open in late 2009. The development is a unique, integrated 'Green Community' in the heart of Abu Dhabi, which uses the traditional planning principals of a walled city, together with existing technologies to achieve a zero-carbon and zero-waste sustainable development.
The city will house -
* the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology - the graduate science and research Institute currently being established in cooperation with MIT;
* research facilities;
* world-class laboratories;
* commercial space for related-sector companies;
* light manufacturing facilities - and
* a carefully selected pool of international tenants, who will invest, develop and commercialise advanced energy technologies.
The city will also host Masdar's offices and residential space for employees, as well as a science museum and edutainment facilities.
Masdar CEO, Sultan Al Jaber explained - "There is nothing like this in the world. We are creating a synergetic environment - it is a true alternative energy cluster. Here you will find researchers, students, scientists, business investment professionals and policy makers - all within the same community.
"It will be a living example of sustainable development that will position Abu Dhabi and Masdar at the forefront of intelligent resource utilisation. It will combine the talent, expertise and resources to enable the technological breakthroughs necessary for truly sustainable development."
Rooted in a zero-carbon ambition, the city will be car-free, powered by renewable energy with services digitally managed and providing real-time information. With a maximum distance of 200m to the nearest transport link and amenities, the compact network of streets will encourage walking and is complemented by a personalised rapid transport system.
Shaded walkways and narrow streets will create a pedestrian-friendly environment in the context of Abu Dhabi's extreme climate. Surrounding land will contain wind, photovoltaic farms, research fields and plantations - enabling the city to be entirely self-sustaining.
The city will provide up to 1,500 companies with an attractive package of incentives - including a one-stop-shop program of government services, transparent laws, 100% foreign ownership, tax-free environment, intellectual property protection and proximity to nearby manufactures, suppliers and markets.
Sultan Al Jaber added - "By attempting the first carbon-neutral city in the world, Masdar is demonstrating its commitment to change the way the world understands energy and sustainable resource utilisation. One day, all cities will be built like this."
Eyre Square scoops Landscape Award
The Irish Landscape Institute has awarded Eyre Square in Galway with the 'Irish Landscape Institute Design Award 2007'.
Galway City Manager, Joe MacGrath, in welcoming the award commented - "The award acts as a testament to the hard work and commitment of Galway City Council, including everyone involved in the Eyre Square Enhancement Scheme."
The award was given in the over-€1m design category.
Eyre Square has already won two national awards in 2006. Galway City Council received the award of Best City Street in the City Neighbourhoods Category for 2006 and also claimed the overall prize in the 2006 Best City Neighbourhood in respect of the Eyre Square Enhancement Project.
The enhanced design of Eyre Square is based on best modern European practice - providing a balanced solution to city centre recreational requirements and a wide diversity of activities for a range of interests, both to its citizens and visitors alike.
Eyre Square and Kennedy Park act as the primary civic space in Galway and create a setting for sculpture pieces and a place for performance and civic events. Eyre Square is now linked to the pedestrian spine of the city - creating an activity hub at the eastern end of the city centre.
The Irish Landscape Institute - as the professional body representing landscape architects in Ireland - has a Constitution and a Code of Professional Conduct. The institute has a membership of 160 - made up of full members, graduate members, student members - as well as honorary members and Fellows.
Galway City Manager, Joe MacGrath, in welcoming the award commented - "The award acts as a testament to the hard work and commitment of Galway City Council, including everyone involved in the Eyre Square Enhancement Scheme."
The award was given in the over-€1m design category.
Eyre Square has already won two national awards in 2006. Galway City Council received the award of Best City Street in the City Neighbourhoods Category for 2006 and also claimed the overall prize in the 2006 Best City Neighbourhood in respect of the Eyre Square Enhancement Project.
The enhanced design of Eyre Square is based on best modern European practice - providing a balanced solution to city centre recreational requirements and a wide diversity of activities for a range of interests, both to its citizens and visitors alike.
Eyre Square and Kennedy Park act as the primary civic space in Galway and create a setting for sculpture pieces and a place for performance and civic events. Eyre Square is now linked to the pedestrian spine of the city - creating an activity hub at the eastern end of the city centre.
The Irish Landscape Institute - as the professional body representing landscape architects in Ireland - has a Constitution and a Code of Professional Conduct. The institute has a membership of 160 - made up of full members, graduate members, student members - as well as honorary members and Fellows.
Mayo Power gets planning permission
A €140million Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant is to go ahead at the former Asahi site at Killala, Co. Mayo.
The plant will be a 100MW mixed fuel combined heat and power plant and will utilise available wood from North West forests to the maximum - providing a market for the thinnings from the newly developed private forests. It will also purchase peat and wood from local fast rotation crops. A small percentage of coal will be used to complete the fuel mix. This planned local purchase of feedstock alone is estimated to be worth €20 million per annum.
Permission has been granted by An Bord Pleanála for the continued use of the existing power generation unit on site to the west of the ESB substation, which was granted for a period of five years. Planning permission was also granted for the construction of an identical type of electricity generation unit to be located to the immediate north of the existing unit.
Each unit is 36.5 metres long and 16.7 metres wide - comprising a control unit, electricity plant and equipment with a stack rising 20 metres in height.
The plant will be a 100MW mixed fuel combined heat and power plant and will utilise available wood from North West forests to the maximum - providing a market for the thinnings from the newly developed private forests. It will also purchase peat and wood from local fast rotation crops. A small percentage of coal will be used to complete the fuel mix. This planned local purchase of feedstock alone is estimated to be worth €20 million per annum.
Permission has been granted by An Bord Pleanála for the continued use of the existing power generation unit on site to the west of the ESB substation, which was granted for a period of five years. Planning permission was also granted for the construction of an identical type of electricity generation unit to be located to the immediate north of the existing unit.
Each unit is 36.5 metres long and 16.7 metres wide - comprising a control unit, electricity plant and equipment with a stack rising 20 metres in height.
New wind turbine spins success for winning student
A revolutionary new design for personal wind turbines has captured the top prize at the BSI Sustainability Design Awards 2007.
Ben Storan, from Galway - a student graduating with an MA in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art (RCA) - has been working for the past year in conjunction with Imperial College to design an affordable personal wind turbine suited to the urban environment.
The result is a unique design which uses vertical, rather than traditional horizontal, rotation. This feature gives a slower rotational speed, which allows the turbine to capture more energy from turbulent air flow, common to urban environments. It also means quieter operation.
As a result, it is able to generate more energy than domestic models currently on the market. Similarly sized existing personal wind turbines claim to generate 1kW at a wind speed of 12 m/s - but, typically, produce just 40% of what is claimed. Ben's design should realistically produce 3 times that (1.2kW) of those currently on the market.
The clever vertical rotation design uses lightweight materials, which means that Ben's turbine is more stable than other personal turbines - leading to better energy capture and making it is easier to install.
Speaking of winning the award and the £3,000 first prize, Ben said - "I'm delighted to win such a prestigious award. Growing up in the windy west of Ireland, I've always been acutely aware of the huge potential in harnessing such a free, clean and renewable source of energy - which, along with a spinning clothes line, gave me the idea in the first place."
Whilst still at the early stages of development, Ben hopes that his design will be in production in the not too distant future.
Runners-up in the BSI Sustainability Design Awards 2007, were Joe Wentworth for his retrofit folding handlebars - which encourages cycling in urban environments where space for bike storage is at a premium - and Andreas Zachariah for his 'Carbon Hero™' personal carbon calculator.
Ben Storan, from Galway - a student graduating with an MA in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art (RCA) - has been working for the past year in conjunction with Imperial College to design an affordable personal wind turbine suited to the urban environment.
The result is a unique design which uses vertical, rather than traditional horizontal, rotation. This feature gives a slower rotational speed, which allows the turbine to capture more energy from turbulent air flow, common to urban environments. It also means quieter operation.
As a result, it is able to generate more energy than domestic models currently on the market. Similarly sized existing personal wind turbines claim to generate 1kW at a wind speed of 12 m/s - but, typically, produce just 40% of what is claimed. Ben's design should realistically produce 3 times that (1.2kW) of those currently on the market.
The clever vertical rotation design uses lightweight materials, which means that Ben's turbine is more stable than other personal turbines - leading to better energy capture and making it is easier to install.
Speaking of winning the award and the £3,000 first prize, Ben said - "I'm delighted to win such a prestigious award. Growing up in the windy west of Ireland, I've always been acutely aware of the huge potential in harnessing such a free, clean and renewable source of energy - which, along with a spinning clothes line, gave me the idea in the first place."
Whilst still at the early stages of development, Ben hopes that his design will be in production in the not too distant future.
Runners-up in the BSI Sustainability Design Awards 2007, were Joe Wentworth for his retrofit folding handlebars - which encourages cycling in urban environments where space for bike storage is at a premium - and Andreas Zachariah for his 'Carbon Hero™' personal carbon calculator.
More stringent standards for building energy grants
The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan T.D., has announced that funding for housing developers to build more sustainable energy houses, will now require builders to ensure that the units they build are 60% more efficient than the requirement under current building regulations.
The Minister announced the new provision at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of the establishment of Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).
Speaking at the event, Minister Ryan said - "The last five years have been marked by many ground-breaking initiatives - led by SEI - which give us a good basis for moving ahead. The hallmark of the next five years will be accelerated and intensive delivery of change to ensure a truly sustainable energy future for Ireland."
Under SEI's House of Tomorrow Scheme, developers of groups of housing can currently avail of grant aid if they build units which are 40% more energy efficient than the requirements of current building regulations. New building standards - to be introduced in 2007 - will make these efficiency standards obligatory and the Programme for Government has signalled the Government's intention to review the regulations in 2010 and achieve a 60% efficiency target in further years.
"Today's announcement - that grant aid under the House of Tomorrow Programme will require builders to achieve a minimum additional 60% energy efficiency - is a clear signal to builders that the new Government is intent on ensuring that the highest levels of energy efficiency are maintained in all new building works" - continued the Minister.
The House of Tomorrow Programme has funded the development of over 5,000 energy-efficient new homes to-date - many of which include renewable energy technologies. "Encouraging energy efficiency and the use of renewables in the domestic sector is a cornerstone of Government policies to develop a more sustainable energy economy" - commented Minister Ryan.
In addition to the House of Tomorrow Programme, SEI's Low Income Housing Programme has retrofitted 12,000 houses with energy-efficient features such as insulation, where fuel poverty posed a difficulty for occupants. The Greener Homes domestic grants programme provides grants for individual householders towards the cost of installing renewable heat technologies. Over 16,000 householders have applied for grants to install renewable energy features since the programme was launched in 2006. The scheme is complemented by the Department's €10m Power of One energy efficiency campaign.
"The level of pent-up demand among consumers for renewable solutions and energy efficiency has been vividly illustrated by the success of these schemes and initiatives" - Minister Ryan said - noting that the Programme for Government gives a further commitment to incentivise energy efficiency in the home, through improved attic and wall insulation.
"The Programme for Government is unequivocal in its commitment to securing both long-term energy security and a low carbon future for Ireland. Together with the actions laid out in the Energy Policy Framework, the Programme for Government is the road-map to the new energy future. It is now about implementation - urgently, effectively and consistently" - he concluded.
The Minister announced the new provision at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of the establishment of Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).
Speaking at the event, Minister Ryan said - "The last five years have been marked by many ground-breaking initiatives - led by SEI - which give us a good basis for moving ahead. The hallmark of the next five years will be accelerated and intensive delivery of change to ensure a truly sustainable energy future for Ireland."
Under SEI's House of Tomorrow Scheme, developers of groups of housing can currently avail of grant aid if they build units which are 40% more energy efficient than the requirements of current building regulations. New building standards - to be introduced in 2007 - will make these efficiency standards obligatory and the Programme for Government has signalled the Government's intention to review the regulations in 2010 and achieve a 60% efficiency target in further years.
"Today's announcement - that grant aid under the House of Tomorrow Programme will require builders to achieve a minimum additional 60% energy efficiency - is a clear signal to builders that the new Government is intent on ensuring that the highest levels of energy efficiency are maintained in all new building works" - continued the Minister.
The House of Tomorrow Programme has funded the development of over 5,000 energy-efficient new homes to-date - many of which include renewable energy technologies. "Encouraging energy efficiency and the use of renewables in the domestic sector is a cornerstone of Government policies to develop a more sustainable energy economy" - commented Minister Ryan.
In addition to the House of Tomorrow Programme, SEI's Low Income Housing Programme has retrofitted 12,000 houses with energy-efficient features such as insulation, where fuel poverty posed a difficulty for occupants. The Greener Homes domestic grants programme provides grants for individual householders towards the cost of installing renewable heat technologies. Over 16,000 householders have applied for grants to install renewable energy features since the programme was launched in 2006. The scheme is complemented by the Department's €10m Power of One energy efficiency campaign.
"The level of pent-up demand among consumers for renewable solutions and energy efficiency has been vividly illustrated by the success of these schemes and initiatives" - Minister Ryan said - noting that the Programme for Government gives a further commitment to incentivise energy efficiency in the home, through improved attic and wall insulation.
"The Programme for Government is unequivocal in its commitment to securing both long-term energy security and a low carbon future for Ireland. Together with the actions laid out in the Energy Policy Framework, the Programme for Government is the road-map to the new energy future. It is now about implementation - urgently, effectively and consistently" - he concluded.
5 years on SEI accelerates to meet energy targets
At an event to celebrate Sustainable Energy Ireland's (SEI) first five years in operation - hosted by David Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of SEI and attended by the new Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Eamon Ryan, T.D. - SEI welcomed the decision to raise the bar for its House of Tomorrow programme to an energy performance of 60% above the level set in the current building regulations.
The decision comes as the proven success of the House of Tomorrow programme will see its current energy standards for dwellings of 40% above current regulations, become mandatory under new Building Regulations to be introduced before the end of 2007, as part of the new Programme for Government.
Mr Taylor said - "Significant improvement in the energy performance of the national housing stock is necessary if we are to succeed in our overall goal of moving to a more sustainable market-based energy economy in Ireland. The new programme targets will assist evidence-based policy making in Ireland as they ensure a reduction in CO2 emissions and encourage an improvement in levels of energy-efficient design and construction in new Irish housing."
Under the next phase of its House of Tomorrow programme, SEI will provide funding to group housing developments which have energy efficiency ratings of 60% above the current Building Regulations.
Since it was established in 2002, SEI has worked towards meeting the policy goals of secure energy supplies, competitive energy services and environmental protection. SEI has facilitated, through its activities, more environmentally and economically sustainable production, supply and use of energy across the economy - including the home, public, commercial and industrial sectors.
"SEI has been involved in a range of initiatives across every sector of the economy for the last five years. Our success has been to instill a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable technologies, as well as providing access to support and practical solutions for implementing energy efficient measures across all of sectors of the economy, from industry - through our large industry energy network ( LIEN programme) - to consumers via initiatives like 'House of Tomorrow' and the 'Greener Homes Scheme'.
"We are confident that the targets set out in the Government White Paper - 'Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland' (Click Here) are within Ireland's capability. In meeting these goals, we expect that renewable energy technologies, such as wind, bio-energy, solar - and, in time, ocean, will grow significantly to provide more sustainable electricity, heat and energy for transport" - continued David Taylor.
SEI Activity Highlights 2002-2007
Renewable Energy -
* €27.3m in total funding and investment committed to renewable energy research, development and demonstration projects - 107 national and international projects
* €5m in energy savings achieved through Public Sector Approved Projects - 151 projects in sports centres, local authority offices, public buildings and educational establishments.
* e3 Energy Management Bureau for third level colleges enabled DIT, TCD, DCU and UCD to reduce energy consumption by 10% in 30 buildings, resulting in a saving of 1,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions
* 13 District Heating and CHP feasibility studies supported
* 21 capital support projects and 8 feasibility studies were supported under the pilot ReHeat - eliminating 1,685 tonnes of oil per annum
* 780 MW of grid-connected wind energy - powering 370,000 homes
* Wind Atlas for Ireland - developed by SEI in 2003 and which is now the cornerstone for all wind farm design and development in Ireland
* SEI co-developed an Ocean Energy strategy with the Marine Institute in April 2006
* 14,000 applicants approved for the Greener Homes Scheme - since its introduction in 2006.
Energy Efficiency -
* SEI Industry Programme - cumulative savings equivalent to CO2 emissions of 57,000 homes
* SEI House of Tomorrow programme - reached every county of Ireland and currently includes 5,300 homes in 124 developments, with funding support of over €33m
* 12,000 low-income houses upgraded with energy efficient features
* Energy Management Action Programme (Energy MAP) - online support tool for business launched.
Integration and Innovation -
* The Dundalk Sustainable Energy Zone initiated
* Over 1,500 education workshops held - involving 45,000 students nationwide
* 18 reports from the Energy Policy and Statistical Support Unit (EPSSU) published.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is the statutory authority charged with promoting and assisting the development of sustainable energy. SEI is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, with programmes part-financed by the European Union.
The decision comes as the proven success of the House of Tomorrow programme will see its current energy standards for dwellings of 40% above current regulations, become mandatory under new Building Regulations to be introduced before the end of 2007, as part of the new Programme for Government.
Mr Taylor said - "Significant improvement in the energy performance of the national housing stock is necessary if we are to succeed in our overall goal of moving to a more sustainable market-based energy economy in Ireland. The new programme targets will assist evidence-based policy making in Ireland as they ensure a reduction in CO2 emissions and encourage an improvement in levels of energy-efficient design and construction in new Irish housing."
Under the next phase of its House of Tomorrow programme, SEI will provide funding to group housing developments which have energy efficiency ratings of 60% above the current Building Regulations.
Since it was established in 2002, SEI has worked towards meeting the policy goals of secure energy supplies, competitive energy services and environmental protection. SEI has facilitated, through its activities, more environmentally and economically sustainable production, supply and use of energy across the economy - including the home, public, commercial and industrial sectors.
"SEI has been involved in a range of initiatives across every sector of the economy for the last five years. Our success has been to instill a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable technologies, as well as providing access to support and practical solutions for implementing energy efficient measures across all of sectors of the economy, from industry - through our large industry energy network ( LIEN programme) - to consumers via initiatives like 'House of Tomorrow' and the 'Greener Homes Scheme'.
"We are confident that the targets set out in the Government White Paper - 'Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland' (Click Here) are within Ireland's capability. In meeting these goals, we expect that renewable energy technologies, such as wind, bio-energy, solar - and, in time, ocean, will grow significantly to provide more sustainable electricity, heat and energy for transport" - continued David Taylor.
SEI Activity Highlights 2002-2007
Renewable Energy -
* €27.3m in total funding and investment committed to renewable energy research, development and demonstration projects - 107 national and international projects
* €5m in energy savings achieved through Public Sector Approved Projects - 151 projects in sports centres, local authority offices, public buildings and educational establishments.
* e3 Energy Management Bureau for third level colleges enabled DIT, TCD, DCU and UCD to reduce energy consumption by 10% in 30 buildings, resulting in a saving of 1,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions
* 13 District Heating and CHP feasibility studies supported
* 21 capital support projects and 8 feasibility studies were supported under the pilot ReHeat - eliminating 1,685 tonnes of oil per annum
* 780 MW of grid-connected wind energy - powering 370,000 homes
* Wind Atlas for Ireland - developed by SEI in 2003 and which is now the cornerstone for all wind farm design and development in Ireland
* SEI co-developed an Ocean Energy strategy with the Marine Institute in April 2006
* 14,000 applicants approved for the Greener Homes Scheme - since its introduction in 2006.
Energy Efficiency -
* SEI Industry Programme - cumulative savings equivalent to CO2 emissions of 57,000 homes
* SEI House of Tomorrow programme - reached every county of Ireland and currently includes 5,300 homes in 124 developments, with funding support of over €33m
* 12,000 low-income houses upgraded with energy efficient features
* Energy Management Action Programme (Energy MAP) - online support tool for business launched.
Integration and Innovation -
* The Dundalk Sustainable Energy Zone initiated
* Over 1,500 education workshops held - involving 45,000 students nationwide
* 18 reports from the Energy Policy and Statistical Support Unit (EPSSU) published.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is the statutory authority charged with promoting and assisting the development of sustainable energy. SEI is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, with programmes part-financed by the European Union.
Marine terminal gets go ahead
Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for a Solvent Waste Marine Terminal in Dublin Port.
Indaver Ireland sought planning permission to upgrade an existing solvent storage tank located opposite their existing waste facility. The company submitted a planning application and Environmental Impact Statement in April 2007.
The Marine Terminal will be used for bulk storage of solvent waste - unsuitable for reuse, recycling or recovery - prior to monthly shipment abroad for incineration. Bulk transport by sea and the diversion of over 100 road tankers per month will bring transport efficiencies and environmental benefits.
Currently, there are limited facilities in Ireland for the management of waste solvents. Over 100,000 tonnes of this waste was exported in 2004 - the majority by road tanker.
According to the company, the Marine Terminal will enable it to offer its customers a more environmentally-sustainable and cost-effective treatment solution for waste solvents.
Indaver Ireland sought planning permission to upgrade an existing solvent storage tank located opposite their existing waste facility. The company submitted a planning application and Environmental Impact Statement in April 2007.
The Marine Terminal will be used for bulk storage of solvent waste - unsuitable for reuse, recycling or recovery - prior to monthly shipment abroad for incineration. Bulk transport by sea and the diversion of over 100 road tankers per month will bring transport efficiencies and environmental benefits.
Currently, there are limited facilities in Ireland for the management of waste solvents. Over 100,000 tonnes of this waste was exported in 2004 - the majority by road tanker.
According to the company, the Marine Terminal will enable it to offer its customers a more environmentally-sustainable and cost-effective treatment solution for waste solvents.
New housing developments may be causing bug outbreaks
The construction of new housing developments and one-off builds on what was once traditional farming land may be contributing to the recent outbreaks of of cryptosporidiosis in Ireland, according to a leading scientist from the United States.
Richard Martin, a manager with NSF International USA - a not-for-profit organisation concerned with standards development and product testing - addressed delegates at the Engineers Ireland CPD conference - 'Cryptosporidium - Causes, Prevention & Solutions' - which took place on 21st June at the Radisson Hotel, Athlone. He warned attendees that the incidence of Cryptosporidium in drinking water may be related to an overstressed water treatment infrastructure in areas of rapid development.
Cryptosporidium may occur in drinking water when the surface water - or the groundwater under its influence - suffers contamination.
Mr Martin believes that water contamination is increasing as a result of problems with waste and drinking water treatment infrastructure, in addition to extreme weather incidents and perculiarities of regional geology, such as the presence of karst limestone. Furthermore, rapid residential development in areas previously given to farming, has led to a rise in the number of points at which contaminated surface water can reach groundwater.
Such contaminated source waters can be successfully treated. As part of his presentation, Mr Martin addressed the regulations, water treatment products and validation techniques for systems and technology. UV technology was singled out as an effective means of protection from the Cryptosporidium bug.
Richard Martin, a manager with NSF International USA - a not-for-profit organisation concerned with standards development and product testing - addressed delegates at the Engineers Ireland CPD conference - 'Cryptosporidium - Causes, Prevention & Solutions' - which took place on 21st June at the Radisson Hotel, Athlone. He warned attendees that the incidence of Cryptosporidium in drinking water may be related to an overstressed water treatment infrastructure in areas of rapid development.
Cryptosporidium may occur in drinking water when the surface water - or the groundwater under its influence - suffers contamination.
Mr Martin believes that water contamination is increasing as a result of problems with waste and drinking water treatment infrastructure, in addition to extreme weather incidents and perculiarities of regional geology, such as the presence of karst limestone. Furthermore, rapid residential development in areas previously given to farming, has led to a rise in the number of points at which contaminated surface water can reach groundwater.
Such contaminated source waters can be successfully treated. As part of his presentation, Mr Martin addressed the regulations, water treatment products and validation techniques for systems and technology. UV technology was singled out as an effective means of protection from the Cryptosporidium bug.
Plastic bag levy increase
The relevant waste management amendments (S.I No. 167 of 2007) have been made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to increase the Environmental levy on Plastic Bags.
* The Levy will increase to 22 cent on Sunday 1 July 2007
* Retailers must carry out a stock-take of certain 'excepted' bags and other plastic bags in stock before the commencement of business on 1st July 2007.
* An information leaflet PB1 for retailers was issued with the Revenue Commissioners June 2007 return form ELEV1.
Further details are also available from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government - Click Here
The 15-cent levy on disposable plastic shopping bags was introduced in Ireland on 4 March 2002. To-date, the levy has raised €75m - €18.8m was remitted by the Revenue Commissioners in 2006.
It is estimated that the use of disposable plastic shopping bags has been reduced by approximately 90% since its introduction. Prior to its introduction approx. 1.2 billion disposable plastic bags were given away free by retailers.
Prior to the introduction of the levy, the per capita usage of plastic bags was estimated at 328. The levy led to a reduction in per capita usage to 21. In the interim, there has been an increase in the usage of plastic bags. Data from levies remitted and estimates provided by the Central Statistics Office as to population density, would indicate that plastic bag usage rose to 30 bags per capita during 2006.
22 cent is the maximum the levy can be increased to under the existing legislative provisions. The aim of the increase is to reduce per capita usage to the level achieved in 2002 or lower. If this aim is achieved, the increased levy will be revenue neutral. Achieving a per capita usage of 21 will increase revenue by only an additional €500,000 to €750,000 - whereas, achieving a per capita usage of 20 will decrease revenue by a similar amount.
All plastic Bag Levy receipts - together with Landfill Levy receipts - are paid into a ring-fenced 'Environment Fund'. To-date, the Fund has been used to support -
* The provision of civic recycling facilities and bring centres
* Operational costs of running civic recycling facilities
* Enforcement of the Waste Management Acts
* North/South waste initiatives, such as the award winning all-island scheme for the Management of waste fridges and freezers
* Waste awareness campaigns - and
* A very successful 'Green Schools' initiative.
* The Levy will increase to 22 cent on Sunday 1 July 2007
* Retailers must carry out a stock-take of certain 'excepted' bags and other plastic bags in stock before the commencement of business on 1st July 2007.
* An information leaflet PB1 for retailers was issued with the Revenue Commissioners June 2007 return form ELEV1.
Further details are also available from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government - Click Here
The 15-cent levy on disposable plastic shopping bags was introduced in Ireland on 4 March 2002. To-date, the levy has raised €75m - €18.8m was remitted by the Revenue Commissioners in 2006.
It is estimated that the use of disposable plastic shopping bags has been reduced by approximately 90% since its introduction. Prior to its introduction approx. 1.2 billion disposable plastic bags were given away free by retailers.
Prior to the introduction of the levy, the per capita usage of plastic bags was estimated at 328. The levy led to a reduction in per capita usage to 21. In the interim, there has been an increase in the usage of plastic bags. Data from levies remitted and estimates provided by the Central Statistics Office as to population density, would indicate that plastic bag usage rose to 30 bags per capita during 2006.
22 cent is the maximum the levy can be increased to under the existing legislative provisions. The aim of the increase is to reduce per capita usage to the level achieved in 2002 or lower. If this aim is achieved, the increased levy will be revenue neutral. Achieving a per capita usage of 21 will increase revenue by only an additional €500,000 to €750,000 - whereas, achieving a per capita usage of 20 will decrease revenue by a similar amount.
All plastic Bag Levy receipts - together with Landfill Levy receipts - are paid into a ring-fenced 'Environment Fund'. To-date, the Fund has been used to support -
* The provision of civic recycling facilities and bring centres
* Operational costs of running civic recycling facilities
* Enforcement of the Waste Management Acts
* North/South waste initiatives, such as the award winning all-island scheme for the Management of waste fridges and freezers
* Waste awareness campaigns - and
* A very successful 'Green Schools' initiative.
Beauty spots' masts refused
MOBILE phone giant O2 has been refused permission to build a 36-metre high communications mast in a 'sensitive' valley.
The mast at the River Slaney would have caused 'severe' damage.
And the company has also received a setback in Co Kilkenny on a well-known walking trail.
An Bord Pleanala refused permission to build a mast near Mount Brandon, describing the proposal as a 'strident alien feature' which would be 'massive and intrusive'.
In refusing permission, the Board noted Government guidelines which emphasise the importance of rolling-out the telecommunications network.
But it found that the masts would interfere with the picturesque views, and recommended refusal.
The Kilkenny mast would have been located on the South Leinster Way, a route used by walkers for decades. The board said it would 'constitute a massive and intrusive element of input which would be seriously destructive to the enjoyment of the visual and recreational amenity of the area'.
The inspector said he was 'surprised' that O2 made no attempt to provide photographs or montage images, given that most objections related to the visual impact.
Objectors to the mast at Graiguenamanagh last night welcomed the decision.
"We live at the other side of the hill and it's a very important recreational space," Susan Proud said. O2 was also refused permission for a 36-metre mast Ballyhogue, in the valley of the River Slaney.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
The mast at the River Slaney would have caused 'severe' damage.
And the company has also received a setback in Co Kilkenny on a well-known walking trail.
An Bord Pleanala refused permission to build a mast near Mount Brandon, describing the proposal as a 'strident alien feature' which would be 'massive and intrusive'.
In refusing permission, the Board noted Government guidelines which emphasise the importance of rolling-out the telecommunications network.
But it found that the masts would interfere with the picturesque views, and recommended refusal.
The Kilkenny mast would have been located on the South Leinster Way, a route used by walkers for decades. The board said it would 'constitute a massive and intrusive element of input which would be seriously destructive to the enjoyment of the visual and recreational amenity of the area'.
The inspector said he was 'surprised' that O2 made no attempt to provide photographs or montage images, given that most objections related to the visual impact.
Objectors to the mast at Graiguenamanagh last night welcomed the decision.
"We live at the other side of the hill and it's a very important recreational space," Susan Proud said. O2 was also refused permission for a 36-metre mast Ballyhogue, in the valley of the River Slaney.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Gaudi's masterpiece built without planning permission
Not strictly an Irish planning story, but amusing nonetheless.
THE Sagrada Familia, the barleysugarturreted fantasy that has become the symbol of Barcelona, has been under construction for 125 years without planning permission. The religious authorities seeking to complete Antoni Gaudi's extravaganza said this week "the works haven't had a licence for 125 years".
The city hall has turned a blind eye to the spectacular expansion of the Temple of the Holy Family, a gesture of tolerance unlikely to be granted anyone planning a Barcelona loft extension.
But a recent dispute over whether a proposed high-speed train link might undermine the monument's foundations has turned the public spotlight on the unlicensed status of Gaudi's bestknown work.
The council approved Gaudi's plans when he submitted them in 1883, but when he sought approval for a more ambitious project in 1885 the visionary architect never received a reply. Work began, and continues with no completion date in sight, without approval ever having been granted.
Gaudi submitted plans for further extensions in 1916; and in 1990 the Sagrada Familia's building works committee submitted updated paperwork to the then Mayor of Barcelona, Pascual Maragal. Administrative silence remained absolute. This did not deter Gaudi, who continued working on the site until his death in 1924.
"Because this is an exceptional work, it was dealt with through other routes, different from those of normal buildings, " a spokesman for the works told yesterday's El Pais.
A plan was put forward in the '20s for a vast, star-shaped plaza surrounding the building that would give visitors unobstructed views of the undulating steeples and dripping facades. This, too, received no reply. Since then, efforts to complete Gaudi's grandiose project have accelerated.
Fired with enthusiasm, devotees have dusted off Gaudi's plaza project, even though clearing the land today would mean razing houses and shops and evicting 150 families. They have announced an international competition to realise the plan, and even want the town hall to fund the works.
Critics have broken their silence.
"The presumed absence of a correct municipal licence is not just an administrative problem but evidence of lack of town hall control over an important matter, " warned Oriol Bohigas, the architect who transformed Barcelona from a miserable grey city to the stylish beauty it is today.
Neighbours too reached the end of their patience. "Thousands of visitors already invade our neighbourhood and make life unbearable, " a spokesman for the Sagrada Familia Neighbours Association said.
The authorities had indicated their willingness to negotiate with the church's construction committee. But relations have soured badly in recent weeks, after the Gaudi camp protested against a proposed high-speed rail link between Barcelona and the border with France that would tunnel near the building's eye-popping facade. The Catalan regional government and Barcelona city say no other route is viable, but have delayed completion for three years, until 2012. Sagrada Familia's building committee says it'll sue unless the route is shifted.
Civil and religious antagonists who could have struck a deal decades ago are now at daggers drawn.
Sunday Tribune
THE Sagrada Familia, the barleysugarturreted fantasy that has become the symbol of Barcelona, has been under construction for 125 years without planning permission. The religious authorities seeking to complete Antoni Gaudi's extravaganza said this week "the works haven't had a licence for 125 years".
The city hall has turned a blind eye to the spectacular expansion of the Temple of the Holy Family, a gesture of tolerance unlikely to be granted anyone planning a Barcelona loft extension.
But a recent dispute over whether a proposed high-speed train link might undermine the monument's foundations has turned the public spotlight on the unlicensed status of Gaudi's bestknown work.
The council approved Gaudi's plans when he submitted them in 1883, but when he sought approval for a more ambitious project in 1885 the visionary architect never received a reply. Work began, and continues with no completion date in sight, without approval ever having been granted.
Gaudi submitted plans for further extensions in 1916; and in 1990 the Sagrada Familia's building works committee submitted updated paperwork to the then Mayor of Barcelona, Pascual Maragal. Administrative silence remained absolute. This did not deter Gaudi, who continued working on the site until his death in 1924.
"Because this is an exceptional work, it was dealt with through other routes, different from those of normal buildings, " a spokesman for the works told yesterday's El Pais.
A plan was put forward in the '20s for a vast, star-shaped plaza surrounding the building that would give visitors unobstructed views of the undulating steeples and dripping facades. This, too, received no reply. Since then, efforts to complete Gaudi's grandiose project have accelerated.
Fired with enthusiasm, devotees have dusted off Gaudi's plaza project, even though clearing the land today would mean razing houses and shops and evicting 150 families. They have announced an international competition to realise the plan, and even want the town hall to fund the works.
Critics have broken their silence.
"The presumed absence of a correct municipal licence is not just an administrative problem but evidence of lack of town hall control over an important matter, " warned Oriol Bohigas, the architect who transformed Barcelona from a miserable grey city to the stylish beauty it is today.
Neighbours too reached the end of their patience. "Thousands of visitors already invade our neighbourhood and make life unbearable, " a spokesman for the Sagrada Familia Neighbours Association said.
The authorities had indicated their willingness to negotiate with the church's construction committee. But relations have soured badly in recent weeks, after the Gaudi camp protested against a proposed high-speed rail link between Barcelona and the border with France that would tunnel near the building's eye-popping facade. The Catalan regional government and Barcelona city say no other route is viable, but have delayed completion for three years, until 2012. Sagrada Familia's building committee says it'll sue unless the route is shifted.
Civil and religious antagonists who could have struck a deal decades ago are now at daggers drawn.
Sunday Tribune
Sunday, 24 June 2007
What Irish planners should know about Lewis Mumford
A planner in my office had not read anything by Lewis Mumford. I found this a little concerning. Here's what Irish planners should know about Mumford.
Lewis Mumford was born in Flushing, Long Island, New York, on October 19, 1895. He attended Stuyvesant High School until 1912. He studied evenings at the City College of New York for five years but did not receive a degree. Instead he became a student of the cities, beginning with New York City, whose libraries, theaters, and museums were his academy. Later, he wrote a series of "Skyline" essays for the New Yorker magazine which were intimate visits to buildings and quarters of the city that illustrated New Yorkers' aspirations and failures in their continuing act of building and rebuilding.
In 1915 Mumford read Patrick Geddes's essays expressing an organic view of society and claimed Geddes as his mentor in the years after 1923 when they met. In 1916 Mumford gained experience in the labor movement by serving as investigator of the dress and waist industry. Briefly in 1917 he worked for the Bureau of Standards in Pittsburgh, testing cement. He served as a radio operator in the U.S. Navy in 1918. The following year he became an editor of Dialmagazine and then went to London in 1920 to serve as acting editor of the Sociological Review. Returning to New York City, he wrote The Story of Utopias (1922).
The English utopian planner and advocate of garden cities, Ebenezer Howard, inspired Mumford toward an active role in city and regional planning. He helped organize the Regional Planning Association of America (1923) and served as special investigator for the New York Housing and Regional Planning Commission, beginning in 1924. He edited the pioneering regional planning issue of Survey Graphic (1925) and helped edit five volumes of The American Caravan (1927-1936). In city planning, he advocated the conservation of "green belts," with self-contained cities supporting residence, work, markets, education, and recreation. The new cities were to be constructed on a pedestrian's scale with organic coherence among the urban functions. As a city planning consultant, he forcefully urged such ideas throughout the world.
In his writing, Mumford tried to define the American conscience: its traditions and allegiances and the forces that periodically betrayed it. Louis Sullivan is the hero of Sticks and Stones; Henry Hobson Richardson is the hero of The Brown Decades and The South in Architecture; both men were gargantuan talents who wedded art and technology to give a distinctively indigenous form to American architecture. In his pioneering study Herman Melville (1929), Mumford disclosed his tragic sense of art and life. Art, he affirmed, is man's declaration against a universe that is "inscrutable, unfathomable, malicious … Not tame and gentle bliss, but disaster, heroically encountered, is man's true happy ending."
In Technics and Civilization (1934) and The Culture of Cities (1938) Mumford tried to show that artifacts are instruments of a civilization's cultural and social process and to examine architecture and machines in terms of the social conditions that nurture them. His thesis was that contemporary civilization must undergo a moral reformation to have the quality of life known to many earlier societies.
Between 1935 and 1951 Mumford wrote a series of books (the "Renewal of Life series," he labeled them) concluding with The Conduct of Life. They are long, sometimes tedious pleas for an understanding of the moral problems of public policies. Preoccupied with the rising threat of fascism, Mumford departed from his earlier pacifism and urged in 1935 that the United States declare its intention to defend against the totalitarian states. Men Must Act (1939) called for American intervention in World War II. The 1950's were very prosperous for Mumford's literary works. His early books including Sticks and Stones, The Brown Decades, and The Golden Day were all republished in 1995.
After the war Mumford worried about the ruin of cities through wholesale urban renewal, the growing dominance of highways, and the military mind's domination of foreign and nuclear policies. In Faith for Living, he wrote that "in a world in which violence becomes normalized as part of the daily routine, the popular mind becomes softly inured to human degeneracy." He held visiting professorships at North Carolina State College, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his most searching book, The City In History (1961), he wrote, "We need a new image of order, which shall include the organic and personal, and eventually embrace all the offices and functions of man." The City In History was honored the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1962. In 1964, Mumford made six twenty-eight minute films based on The City In History.
In his much later work The Myth of the Machine (1970) he looks down upon technology, labeling the megamachine as the "guilty party." Mumford died in 1990.
Further Reading
The major source for information on Mumford's life is Van Wyck Brooks, The Van Wyck Brooks-Lewis Mumford Letters: The Record of a Literary Friendship, 1921-1963, edited by Robert E. Spiller (1970); it is virtually a social history of the era. Mumford's early career is detailed in Roy Lubove, Community Planning in the 1920's: The Contribution of the Regional Planning Association of America (1964). Mumford's views on urban life are analyzed in Morton and Lucia White, The Intellectual versus the City: From Thomas Jefferson to Frank Lloyd Wright (1962); W. Warren Wagar, The City of Man: Prophecies of a World Civilization in Twentieth-century Thought (1963); and Alan A. Altshuler, The City Planning Process: A Political Analysis (1965). Other sources include Lewis Mumford and American Modernism: Eutopian Theories for Architecture and Urban Planning written by Robert Wojtowioz (1996), Coping with the Past: Patrick Geddes, Lewis Mumford, and the Regional Museum by John L. Thomas (1997).
Lewis Mumford was born in Flushing, Long Island, New York, on October 19, 1895. He attended Stuyvesant High School until 1912. He studied evenings at the City College of New York for five years but did not receive a degree. Instead he became a student of the cities, beginning with New York City, whose libraries, theaters, and museums were his academy. Later, he wrote a series of "Skyline" essays for the New Yorker magazine which were intimate visits to buildings and quarters of the city that illustrated New Yorkers' aspirations and failures in their continuing act of building and rebuilding.
In 1915 Mumford read Patrick Geddes's essays expressing an organic view of society and claimed Geddes as his mentor in the years after 1923 when they met. In 1916 Mumford gained experience in the labor movement by serving as investigator of the dress and waist industry. Briefly in 1917 he worked for the Bureau of Standards in Pittsburgh, testing cement. He served as a radio operator in the U.S. Navy in 1918. The following year he became an editor of Dialmagazine and then went to London in 1920 to serve as acting editor of the Sociological Review. Returning to New York City, he wrote The Story of Utopias (1922).
The English utopian planner and advocate of garden cities, Ebenezer Howard, inspired Mumford toward an active role in city and regional planning. He helped organize the Regional Planning Association of America (1923) and served as special investigator for the New York Housing and Regional Planning Commission, beginning in 1924. He edited the pioneering regional planning issue of Survey Graphic (1925) and helped edit five volumes of The American Caravan (1927-1936). In city planning, he advocated the conservation of "green belts," with self-contained cities supporting residence, work, markets, education, and recreation. The new cities were to be constructed on a pedestrian's scale with organic coherence among the urban functions. As a city planning consultant, he forcefully urged such ideas throughout the world.
In his writing, Mumford tried to define the American conscience: its traditions and allegiances and the forces that periodically betrayed it. Louis Sullivan is the hero of Sticks and Stones; Henry Hobson Richardson is the hero of The Brown Decades and The South in Architecture; both men were gargantuan talents who wedded art and technology to give a distinctively indigenous form to American architecture. In his pioneering study Herman Melville (1929), Mumford disclosed his tragic sense of art and life. Art, he affirmed, is man's declaration against a universe that is "inscrutable, unfathomable, malicious … Not tame and gentle bliss, but disaster, heroically encountered, is man's true happy ending."
In Technics and Civilization (1934) and The Culture of Cities (1938) Mumford tried to show that artifacts are instruments of a civilization's cultural and social process and to examine architecture and machines in terms of the social conditions that nurture them. His thesis was that contemporary civilization must undergo a moral reformation to have the quality of life known to many earlier societies.
Between 1935 and 1951 Mumford wrote a series of books (the "Renewal of Life series," he labeled them) concluding with The Conduct of Life. They are long, sometimes tedious pleas for an understanding of the moral problems of public policies. Preoccupied with the rising threat of fascism, Mumford departed from his earlier pacifism and urged in 1935 that the United States declare its intention to defend against the totalitarian states. Men Must Act (1939) called for American intervention in World War II. The 1950's were very prosperous for Mumford's literary works. His early books including Sticks and Stones, The Brown Decades, and The Golden Day were all republished in 1995.
After the war Mumford worried about the ruin of cities through wholesale urban renewal, the growing dominance of highways, and the military mind's domination of foreign and nuclear policies. In Faith for Living, he wrote that "in a world in which violence becomes normalized as part of the daily routine, the popular mind becomes softly inured to human degeneracy." He held visiting professorships at North Carolina State College, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his most searching book, The City In History (1961), he wrote, "We need a new image of order, which shall include the organic and personal, and eventually embrace all the offices and functions of man." The City In History was honored the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1962. In 1964, Mumford made six twenty-eight minute films based on The City In History.
In his much later work The Myth of the Machine (1970) he looks down upon technology, labeling the megamachine as the "guilty party." Mumford died in 1990.
Further Reading
The major source for information on Mumford's life is Van Wyck Brooks, The Van Wyck Brooks-Lewis Mumford Letters: The Record of a Literary Friendship, 1921-1963, edited by Robert E. Spiller (1970); it is virtually a social history of the era. Mumford's early career is detailed in Roy Lubove, Community Planning in the 1920's: The Contribution of the Regional Planning Association of America (1964). Mumford's views on urban life are analyzed in Morton and Lucia White, The Intellectual versus the City: From Thomas Jefferson to Frank Lloyd Wright (1962); W. Warren Wagar, The City of Man: Prophecies of a World Civilization in Twentieth-century Thought (1963); and Alan A. Altshuler, The City Planning Process: A Political Analysis (1965). Other sources include Lewis Mumford and American Modernism: Eutopian Theories for Architecture and Urban Planning written by Robert Wojtowioz (1996), Coping with the Past: Patrick Geddes, Lewis Mumford, and the Regional Museum by John L. Thomas (1997).
City manager recommends Waterford development plan amendments
The Waterford city manager Conn Murray has recommended amendments to the city’s draft development plan.
Murray has recommended the council pass a proposed amendment from Waterford Crystal which acknowledges its Kilbarry site as a tourism destination and supports the development of additional tourism-related facilities there.
Waterford Crystal’s proposed amendment suggested ‘‘the Council acknowledges the role of Waterford Crystal as a tourism destination and will encourage the development of additional tourism-based facilities on the Crystal site at Kilbarry. In addition, with the adjoining ‘opportunity site’, there may be opportunities for tour ism-based facilities, including hotel/conference accommodation, for tourist-related retailing linked to the existing premium brand outlet.”
The county manager has amended that slightly and suggests it should instead state that the council ‘‘will encourage the expansion of the tourism product at the Crystal site so as to create a nationally significant tourism facility. The facility may include tourism-based retailing linked to the existing premium brand outlet. In addition there may be opportunities on the overall opportunity site at this location to provide for additional tourism based facilities.”
Tony O’Reilly’s Waterford Crystal and Sean Mulryan’s Ballymore Properties are set to spend €300 million on the so-called ‘‘opportunity site’’. It is expected to brand itself as an ‘‘international lifestyle development’’.
The project is still being planned by Ballymore and Waterford Crystal.
Meanwhile, Noel Frisby and Tesco have made a submission in relation to the Lisduggan district centre, as king for a statement to be included in the development plan in order to facilitate the redevelopment of the centre.
The city manager has recommended an amendment which states the current design of the centre is obsolete and needs to be redeveloped.
‘‘The council will encourage its redevelopment, in the context of the regeneration of the Larchville/Lisduggan area.
‘‘The redevelopment may include the provision of a superstore, which in addition to its convenience offer, can include provision for low to middle order comparison goods of up to 1,460 square metres net floor area,” the manager’s report states.
However, Frisby’s opposition to plans for retail facilities at Ballybeg and Carrickphierish on the grounds they could inhibit the redevelopment of Larchville left the city manager unmoved. ‘‘It is considered that the planned proposals for both areas are reasonable and should be adopted unaltered,” he wrote.
Last week, the city council unveiled Project 2014,a plan that will see more than €2.4 billion invested in Waterford over the next seven years.
Major elements include a €310 million Government Quarter on a 3.7-acre site at Catherine Street, Bolton Street and The Mall.
Waterford City Council will be headquartered in this area alongside 200 civil servants from the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government, and personnel from the Courts Service.
The mixed-use scheme will include three large office buildings and a 600 space multi-storey car park on a council-owned site that is currently under-utilised.
Space freed up by the relocation of the public service to Government Quarter will free up space around Arundel Square, the Suir and The Mall, and a new National Viking Museum is earmarked for the area.
New retail, residential and hotel developments worth more than €300 million are also to be developed in the city centre, according to the council.
A further €625 million is set to be spent by the private sector on regeneration projects on both sides of the River Suir in the city centre.
A new pedestrian bridge will link Waterford’s quays and city centre.
Conn Murray said a multiagency coordination group is being put in place to steer Project 2014 and a forward planning unit is also being established within the council to ‘‘guide appropriate and sustainable development’’.
Sunday Business Post
Murray has recommended the council pass a proposed amendment from Waterford Crystal which acknowledges its Kilbarry site as a tourism destination and supports the development of additional tourism-related facilities there.
Waterford Crystal’s proposed amendment suggested ‘‘the Council acknowledges the role of Waterford Crystal as a tourism destination and will encourage the development of additional tourism-based facilities on the Crystal site at Kilbarry. In addition, with the adjoining ‘opportunity site’, there may be opportunities for tour ism-based facilities, including hotel/conference accommodation, for tourist-related retailing linked to the existing premium brand outlet.”
The county manager has amended that slightly and suggests it should instead state that the council ‘‘will encourage the expansion of the tourism product at the Crystal site so as to create a nationally significant tourism facility. The facility may include tourism-based retailing linked to the existing premium brand outlet. In addition there may be opportunities on the overall opportunity site at this location to provide for additional tourism based facilities.”
Tony O’Reilly’s Waterford Crystal and Sean Mulryan’s Ballymore Properties are set to spend €300 million on the so-called ‘‘opportunity site’’. It is expected to brand itself as an ‘‘international lifestyle development’’.
The project is still being planned by Ballymore and Waterford Crystal.
Meanwhile, Noel Frisby and Tesco have made a submission in relation to the Lisduggan district centre, as king for a statement to be included in the development plan in order to facilitate the redevelopment of the centre.
The city manager has recommended an amendment which states the current design of the centre is obsolete and needs to be redeveloped.
‘‘The council will encourage its redevelopment, in the context of the regeneration of the Larchville/Lisduggan area.
‘‘The redevelopment may include the provision of a superstore, which in addition to its convenience offer, can include provision for low to middle order comparison goods of up to 1,460 square metres net floor area,” the manager’s report states.
However, Frisby’s opposition to plans for retail facilities at Ballybeg and Carrickphierish on the grounds they could inhibit the redevelopment of Larchville left the city manager unmoved. ‘‘It is considered that the planned proposals for both areas are reasonable and should be adopted unaltered,” he wrote.
Last week, the city council unveiled Project 2014,a plan that will see more than €2.4 billion invested in Waterford over the next seven years.
Major elements include a €310 million Government Quarter on a 3.7-acre site at Catherine Street, Bolton Street and The Mall.
Waterford City Council will be headquartered in this area alongside 200 civil servants from the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government, and personnel from the Courts Service.
The mixed-use scheme will include three large office buildings and a 600 space multi-storey car park on a council-owned site that is currently under-utilised.
Space freed up by the relocation of the public service to Government Quarter will free up space around Arundel Square, the Suir and The Mall, and a new National Viking Museum is earmarked for the area.
New retail, residential and hotel developments worth more than €300 million are also to be developed in the city centre, according to the council.
A further €625 million is set to be spent by the private sector on regeneration projects on both sides of the River Suir in the city centre.
A new pedestrian bridge will link Waterford’s quays and city centre.
Conn Murray said a multiagency coordination group is being put in place to steer Project 2014 and a forward planning unit is also being established within the council to ‘‘guide appropriate and sustainable development’’.
Sunday Business Post
Council seeks partner for Charlemont St redevelopment
Dublin City Council is seeking partners for a public-private partnership that will redevelop the five-acre Charlemont Street flats in Dublin 2.
The move is likely to attract huge interest from developers, because of the site’s proximity to the city centre.
‘‘Interested developers are expected to deliver a high quality mixed use development to further enhance an area which has been subject to significant renewal over recent years,” the council’s brief states.
Most of the existing flats were built in 1959. There are currently 181 flats in five-storey blocks, with open staircases and deck access.
Dublin City Council is looking for 155 social housing units, with the number of own door dwellings maximised, as part of any deal. In addition, it is also seeking 20 affordable dwellings and a community centre with an indoor seven-aside football pitch.
The project’s partner will be chosen under the competitive dialogue process. This allows the council a larger degree of flexibility than was previously available to public bodies, when conducting initial negotiations and discussing bids.
The new rules were brought in as a recognition of the difficulties involved in large or complex projects under the old public procurement rules.
Any scheme developed on the site is likely to include a significant amount of offices, given the central location of the flat complex. Tenants in the immediate area include Bank of America, Investec, HSBC, Regus, Hibernian, Eontec and Arthur O’Hagan solicitors.
The Grand Canal passes close to the site, which is a short walk from St Stephen’s Green and is also close to the Harcourt Street Luas stop. It is also within walking distance of various DIT campuses, as well as Griffith College and Trinity College.
The Charlemont Clinic adjoins the site, and it is also within walking distance of St James’s Hospital. Residential apartments would be likely to sell well in any redevelopment.
Two-bedroom apartments in the Cosgrave-built Harcourt Green scheme opposite the flats sell for €500,000.
The Charlemont site includes the Ffrench Mullen flats at the front of the flat complex, which were designed and built during World War II.
The original intention was to have this type of flats built along the entire side of the street, but in the end, only that complex was built.
The flats were designed by Michael Scott, who was also involved in the design of Busaras and the Donnybrook bus garage, and whose practice eventually became Scott Tallon Walker.
Discussions regarding the future redevelopment of the Charlemont Street flats have been held on an on-off basis for at least four years.
Last year, the council held numerous discussions with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding the site.
Eventually, the council decided to propose a more ‘‘radical and positive long-term solution for the area’’ according to the minutes from a local area meeting in May.
‘‘The new proposal is for full demolition of the block of flats (except Ffrench Mullen House) and their replacement with modern new dwellings together with community, leisure and general precinct facilities,” the minutes from the meeting state.
September 21 is the closing date for submissions in response to the ‘‘call for competition’’, as the council terms the redevelopment opportunity.
Charlemont Street takes its name from the first Earl of Charlemont, James Caulfield. He was elected commander-in-chief of the Irish Volunteers in 1780, and became known as the Volunteer Earl. The Casino in Marino was built for him.
Other Dublin City Council public-private partnerships for the redevelopment of flat complexes include Fatima Mansions, O’Devanney Gardens, St Michael’s in Inchicore, Croke Villas and St Theresa’s Gardens.
Sunday Business Post
The move is likely to attract huge interest from developers, because of the site’s proximity to the city centre.
‘‘Interested developers are expected to deliver a high quality mixed use development to further enhance an area which has been subject to significant renewal over recent years,” the council’s brief states.
Most of the existing flats were built in 1959. There are currently 181 flats in five-storey blocks, with open staircases and deck access.
Dublin City Council is looking for 155 social housing units, with the number of own door dwellings maximised, as part of any deal. In addition, it is also seeking 20 affordable dwellings and a community centre with an indoor seven-aside football pitch.
The project’s partner will be chosen under the competitive dialogue process. This allows the council a larger degree of flexibility than was previously available to public bodies, when conducting initial negotiations and discussing bids.
The new rules were brought in as a recognition of the difficulties involved in large or complex projects under the old public procurement rules.
Any scheme developed on the site is likely to include a significant amount of offices, given the central location of the flat complex. Tenants in the immediate area include Bank of America, Investec, HSBC, Regus, Hibernian, Eontec and Arthur O’Hagan solicitors.
The Grand Canal passes close to the site, which is a short walk from St Stephen’s Green and is also close to the Harcourt Street Luas stop. It is also within walking distance of various DIT campuses, as well as Griffith College and Trinity College.
The Charlemont Clinic adjoins the site, and it is also within walking distance of St James’s Hospital. Residential apartments would be likely to sell well in any redevelopment.
Two-bedroom apartments in the Cosgrave-built Harcourt Green scheme opposite the flats sell for €500,000.
The Charlemont site includes the Ffrench Mullen flats at the front of the flat complex, which were designed and built during World War II.
The original intention was to have this type of flats built along the entire side of the street, but in the end, only that complex was built.
The flats were designed by Michael Scott, who was also involved in the design of Busaras and the Donnybrook bus garage, and whose practice eventually became Scott Tallon Walker.
Discussions regarding the future redevelopment of the Charlemont Street flats have been held on an on-off basis for at least four years.
Last year, the council held numerous discussions with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding the site.
Eventually, the council decided to propose a more ‘‘radical and positive long-term solution for the area’’ according to the minutes from a local area meeting in May.
‘‘The new proposal is for full demolition of the block of flats (except Ffrench Mullen House) and their replacement with modern new dwellings together with community, leisure and general precinct facilities,” the minutes from the meeting state.
September 21 is the closing date for submissions in response to the ‘‘call for competition’’, as the council terms the redevelopment opportunity.
Charlemont Street takes its name from the first Earl of Charlemont, James Caulfield. He was elected commander-in-chief of the Irish Volunteers in 1780, and became known as the Volunteer Earl. The Casino in Marino was built for him.
Other Dublin City Council public-private partnerships for the redevelopment of flat complexes include Fatima Mansions, O’Devanney Gardens, St Michael’s in Inchicore, Croke Villas and St Theresa’s Gardens.
Sunday Business Post
Locals only' planning rule may be scrapped
This story has been carried by the national newspapers for about two weeks now. It is a huge story for Wicklow, but the Wicklow People gave it just a few lines:
Wicklow County Council's locals only planning rule may have to be scrapped following a complaint which is being examined by the European Commission.
Currently the council restricts non locals from being granted planning permission for one-off rural houses. The county development plan states that people must be local to the area or have a need to live locally in order to be granted planning.
However, this planning guideline is likely to be scrapped if the European Commission decides that it is illegal.
The commission has completed an examination of the development plans of 22 counties following a complaint from an Irish citizen who was refused planning permission to build a house in Wicklow because he was not a permanent native resident'.
It is expected to announce within the coming month that many of the restrictions in the county development plans are illegal under European law.
Wicklow People
Wicklow County Council's locals only planning rule may have to be scrapped following a complaint which is being examined by the European Commission.
Currently the council restricts non locals from being granted planning permission for one-off rural houses. The county development plan states that people must be local to the area or have a need to live locally in order to be granted planning.
However, this planning guideline is likely to be scrapped if the European Commission decides that it is illegal.
The commission has completed an examination of the development plans of 22 counties following a complaint from an Irish citizen who was refused planning permission to build a house in Wicklow because he was not a permanent native resident'.
It is expected to announce within the coming month that many of the restrictions in the county development plans are illegal under European law.
Wicklow People
Company's decision welcomed by campaigners Roadstone won't blast Arklow Rock for 15 years
Roadstone have declared that they will not blast any more of the remaining sections of the Arklow Rock for at least the next 15 years.
The decision has been welcomed by those that waged a high-profile campaign last year to save the Rock from threatened complete destruction.
Roadstone was ordered by An Bord Pleanála in March to apply for county council planning permission before blasting the Rock's south-facing cliffs.
The company lodged a planning permission application with the council last week for continuing general operations a requirement for all quarries under the Planning and Development Act 2001 but said that the Rock itself had been ringfenced.
While the planning application and environmental impact statement covers all of the rock deposit, Roadstone wishes to point out that it does not propose to conduct any further excavation work in or around the southern face of the quarry at the pinnacle known as Arklow Rock over the next 15 year period,' a Roadstone Provinces spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The company has taken this decision following lengthy and considered consultation with local stakeholders, neighbouring property owners and various local public representatives.
Roadstone is conscious of its obligations and responsibilities as a respected employer and business of long standing in Arklow, and at all times endeavours to operate in harmony with our neighbours.'
Gabriel Gleeson, chairman of the Arklow Rock Preservation Association, said he welcomed the decision.
We certainly would welcome any movement...in regards to leaving the south side of the Rock,' he said.
Fifteen years is fine but we would like to see it left like that indefinitely.'
Arklow mayor Sylvester Bourke said all councillors had supported the saving of the Rock and said he was glad Roadstone have taken a responsible attitude on this'.
They have got an awful lot out of the Rock in the past 30 years and it's good they will leave some kind of legacy for the future.'
The decision has been welcomed by those that waged a high-profile campaign last year to save the Rock from threatened complete destruction.
Roadstone was ordered by An Bord Pleanála in March to apply for county council planning permission before blasting the Rock's south-facing cliffs.
The company lodged a planning permission application with the council last week for continuing general operations a requirement for all quarries under the Planning and Development Act 2001 but said that the Rock itself had been ringfenced.
While the planning application and environmental impact statement covers all of the rock deposit, Roadstone wishes to point out that it does not propose to conduct any further excavation work in or around the southern face of the quarry at the pinnacle known as Arklow Rock over the next 15 year period,' a Roadstone Provinces spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The company has taken this decision following lengthy and considered consultation with local stakeholders, neighbouring property owners and various local public representatives.
Roadstone is conscious of its obligations and responsibilities as a respected employer and business of long standing in Arklow, and at all times endeavours to operate in harmony with our neighbours.'
Gabriel Gleeson, chairman of the Arklow Rock Preservation Association, said he welcomed the decision.
We certainly would welcome any movement...in regards to leaving the south side of the Rock,' he said.
Fifteen years is fine but we would like to see it left like that indefinitely.'
Arklow mayor Sylvester Bourke said all councillors had supported the saving of the Rock and said he was glad Roadstone have taken a responsible attitude on this'.
They have got an awful lot out of the Rock in the past 30 years and it's good they will leave some kind of legacy for the future.'
Councillors say raw sewage is running into rivers
Raw sewage is running into rivers in both Tullow and Clonmore, according to two County Councillors.
The claims were made at last Monday's Council meeting, when Cllr. John Pender said that raw sewage was running into the Slaney in Tullow.
Stating that it was an absolute disgrace that it hasn't been cleared up,' Cllr. Pender said that the situation was worsened by the fine weather.
Cllr. P.J. Kavanagh also made a similar complaint about sewage running into a stream from a housing estate in Clonmore.
When is Clonmore going to get its sewerage system updated?' he asked.
The recent fine weather also highlighted a problem in Bagenalstown's McGrath Hall, Cllr. Denis Foley told the assembled Councillors.
He said that the smell of sewage in the hall was so bad that a meeting had to be abandoned.
Replying to Cllr. Foley, Director of Services, Mr. Eamonn Walsh, said that the drains in the area were to be cleaned. To Cllr. Pender, he said that while there was some work completed in Tullow, there was more to be done.
Carlow People
The claims were made at last Monday's Council meeting, when Cllr. John Pender said that raw sewage was running into the Slaney in Tullow.
Stating that it was an absolute disgrace that it hasn't been cleared up,' Cllr. Pender said that the situation was worsened by the fine weather.
Cllr. P.J. Kavanagh also made a similar complaint about sewage running into a stream from a housing estate in Clonmore.
When is Clonmore going to get its sewerage system updated?' he asked.
The recent fine weather also highlighted a problem in Bagenalstown's McGrath Hall, Cllr. Denis Foley told the assembled Councillors.
He said that the smell of sewage in the hall was so bad that a meeting had to be abandoned.
Replying to Cllr. Foley, Director of Services, Mr. Eamonn Walsh, said that the drains in the area were to be cleaned. To Cllr. Pender, he said that while there was some work completed in Tullow, there was more to be done.
Carlow People
Mixed reaction to plans for Bray
There was a mixed bag of views expressed by retailers based in Bray town centre during a questions and answers session at last Wednesday's meeting.
Calling the scheme marvellous', John Doyle said the plan for the town seemed very positive, a view which was echoed by many members of Bray's retail community.
But retailers from both the Albert Walk and the Village Arcade were disappointed and angry that these areas were not to be included in the rejuvenation plan.
Town Manager Des O'Brien explained that the areas which the plan will cover had to be limited as covering the whole town would have meant less of an impact as the funds available to the committee would have to be spread very thinly.
However this was not accepted by one trader on the Albert Walk who made the point that although traders there paid full commercial and water rates, the area continues to be one of the dirtiest and most run-down in Bray.
While welcoming the committee's plans, Gordon Lennox said that any rejuvenation of the town would be pointless if shoppers could not get in and out of the town because of traffic and parking problems. He urged the council to address these problems as a matter of urgency.
Acknowledging that the parking situation is a major deterrent for shoppers, Town Clerk Christine Flood said that a traffic study of the town was being undertaken and that hundreds of additional spaces would be coming on stream between now and 2012.
Bray People
Calling the scheme marvellous', John Doyle said the plan for the town seemed very positive, a view which was echoed by many members of Bray's retail community.
But retailers from both the Albert Walk and the Village Arcade were disappointed and angry that these areas were not to be included in the rejuvenation plan.
Town Manager Des O'Brien explained that the areas which the plan will cover had to be limited as covering the whole town would have meant less of an impact as the funds available to the committee would have to be spread very thinly.
However this was not accepted by one trader on the Albert Walk who made the point that although traders there paid full commercial and water rates, the area continues to be one of the dirtiest and most run-down in Bray.
While welcoming the committee's plans, Gordon Lennox said that any rejuvenation of the town would be pointless if shoppers could not get in and out of the town because of traffic and parking problems. He urged the council to address these problems as a matter of urgency.
Acknowledging that the parking situation is a major deterrent for shoppers, Town Clerk Christine Flood said that a traffic study of the town was being undertaken and that hundreds of additional spaces would be coming on stream between now and 2012.
Bray People
Mast at Garda station is appealed to Bord Pleanala
Residents living close to Bray garda station had no idea that the erection of a controversial communications mast in the station's grounds had been appealed to An Bórd Pleanála.
This was according to Cllr. Pat Vance who told members at last Tuesday's special housing and planning meeting that he had been contacted by numerous residents who wanted to know if the mast required planning permission.
He said he was unsure if the mast was an exempted development but said he thought that a report on the matter would have been circulated to the members.
Town Manager Des O'Brien said that that mast had been deemed an exempted development. The matter was now being looked at by An Bórd Pleanála, who had invited submissions from members of the public.
In response, Cllr. Vance said a number of residents in the area were unaware of the situation.
Bray People
This was according to Cllr. Pat Vance who told members at last Tuesday's special housing and planning meeting that he had been contacted by numerous residents who wanted to know if the mast required planning permission.
He said he was unsure if the mast was an exempted development but said he thought that a report on the matter would have been circulated to the members.
Town Manager Des O'Brien said that that mast had been deemed an exempted development. The matter was now being looked at by An Bórd Pleanála, who had invited submissions from members of the public.
In response, Cllr. Vance said a number of residents in the area were unaware of the situation.
Bray People
Where should the Bray Luas line terminate?
Plans for the extension of a proposed Luas link to Bray are underway, and a decision on where to locate a new terminus will come down to residents' demand, according to Claire Falkiner, Project Manager with the Rail Procurement Agency.
The already confirmed new green line extension, known as Luas Line B2, will run from Cherrywood to Fassaroe, with possible stops on the way including St. Colmcille's, Stonebridge Road, Crinken Lane, Wilford, Old Conna and Fassaroe. A park and ride facility is expected to be included in the Fassaroe development.
Whether there will be a spur to a proposed new DART station or alternatively to the existing station at Bray remains undecided, and is still a matter subject to further public consultation.
While progress is being made with regard to the plans, the extension is not expected to be complete until 2015, and the projected cost of the 6km project is not known as of yet.
Arguments in favour of bringing the extension to the existing DART station include the possibility of attracting more business and tourism to the area, while arguments against include the congestion that some feel the town will suffer as a result of poor parking facilities.
Ms. Falkiner has remarked that opposition is inevitable to whatever decision is made. With a decision on the route expected to be made in the Autumn, the people of Bray have vastly differing views on which direction they feel the plans should take.
Ann Murdiff, from Mountainview Drive, is resolute that the extension should come to the existing DART station in Bray. It would be more beneficial to the town' she said. You can just park your car and get on it. It would be more likely to bring shoppers to the town.'
Ann and her family were among the first users of the existing DART line over 20 years ago. People said then that it would cause congestion, but it brought more people in. If the new line goes elsewhere then Bray could become a ghost-town.'
Sinead Murdiff, also from Mountainview Drive, disagrees. A new station at Woodbrook would prevent congestion down by the beach' she said. They could build new, proper parking, as opposed to the haphazard parking facilities at the existing station.'
Sinead also remarked that it would make sense to extend the Luas to the proposed site of the new town centre.
Robert Hargan, from Ledwidge Crescent, is a strong supporter of the potential Woodbrook route. It would be easier to get around, it gets very crowded in the town and the extension to Woodbrook might take some of the traffic off the road.'
Shane Surpless, of Connolly's shoe shop on Bray's main street, is in favour of a route coming in to the town and ending at the station itself.
It would bring people into the town hopefully' he said, adding there isn't much parking available at the moment, but the Luas has to be a positive thing really.'
Bray man Ben O'Brien is in agreement with Mr. Surpless, saying that a local spur would be a great advantage. The closer it comes to the town the better' said Ben. It would be handy for people getting off the DART, plus people know exactly where it is. It's just more convenient for everybody in Bray.'
Already having had the chance to offer their opinions on the issue at a meeting in the Royal Hotel, members of the public have until June 29 to make submissions to the Rail Procurement Agency on the proposed Luas route.
Bray People
The already confirmed new green line extension, known as Luas Line B2, will run from Cherrywood to Fassaroe, with possible stops on the way including St. Colmcille's, Stonebridge Road, Crinken Lane, Wilford, Old Conna and Fassaroe. A park and ride facility is expected to be included in the Fassaroe development.
Whether there will be a spur to a proposed new DART station or alternatively to the existing station at Bray remains undecided, and is still a matter subject to further public consultation.
While progress is being made with regard to the plans, the extension is not expected to be complete until 2015, and the projected cost of the 6km project is not known as of yet.
Arguments in favour of bringing the extension to the existing DART station include the possibility of attracting more business and tourism to the area, while arguments against include the congestion that some feel the town will suffer as a result of poor parking facilities.
Ms. Falkiner has remarked that opposition is inevitable to whatever decision is made. With a decision on the route expected to be made in the Autumn, the people of Bray have vastly differing views on which direction they feel the plans should take.
Ann Murdiff, from Mountainview Drive, is resolute that the extension should come to the existing DART station in Bray. It would be more beneficial to the town' she said. You can just park your car and get on it. It would be more likely to bring shoppers to the town.'
Ann and her family were among the first users of the existing DART line over 20 years ago. People said then that it would cause congestion, but it brought more people in. If the new line goes elsewhere then Bray could become a ghost-town.'
Sinead Murdiff, also from Mountainview Drive, disagrees. A new station at Woodbrook would prevent congestion down by the beach' she said. They could build new, proper parking, as opposed to the haphazard parking facilities at the existing station.'
Sinead also remarked that it would make sense to extend the Luas to the proposed site of the new town centre.
Robert Hargan, from Ledwidge Crescent, is a strong supporter of the potential Woodbrook route. It would be easier to get around, it gets very crowded in the town and the extension to Woodbrook might take some of the traffic off the road.'
Shane Surpless, of Connolly's shoe shop on Bray's main street, is in favour of a route coming in to the town and ending at the station itself.
It would bring people into the town hopefully' he said, adding there isn't much parking available at the moment, but the Luas has to be a positive thing really.'
Bray man Ben O'Brien is in agreement with Mr. Surpless, saying that a local spur would be a great advantage. The closer it comes to the town the better' said Ben. It would be handy for people getting off the DART, plus people know exactly where it is. It's just more convenient for everybody in Bray.'
Already having had the chance to offer their opinions on the issue at a meeting in the Royal Hotel, members of the public have until June 29 to make submissions to the Rail Procurement Agency on the proposed Luas route.
Bray People
Bray Town centre to get major facelift
Bray town centre looks set to get a major facelift after a number of exciting initiatives aimed at revitalising the commerical heart of the town were announced last week.
The two initiatives which will most dramatically affect the appearance of the town centre include a grant scheme of €230,000 for the refurbishment of shopfronts, along with a Paint the Town' scheme which will see upper building facades being painted at no cost to retailers.
These ambitious plans were unveiled to retailers and business owners last Wednesday at a special meeting organised by the Bray Town Centre Rejuvenation Committee, a public private partnership between Bray Town Council, Bray Chamber of Commerce and retailers' groups.
The committee hopes that the plan, which also includes proposals to improve Bray's chronic parking problems and tackle littering, will rejuvenate, revitalise and revive' the main commercial areas of the town.
Independent businesses who are interested in the scheme can apply for shopfront grants until Friday August 10, but are being urged to get their applications in immediately.
Bray People
The two initiatives which will most dramatically affect the appearance of the town centre include a grant scheme of €230,000 for the refurbishment of shopfronts, along with a Paint the Town' scheme which will see upper building facades being painted at no cost to retailers.
These ambitious plans were unveiled to retailers and business owners last Wednesday at a special meeting organised by the Bray Town Centre Rejuvenation Committee, a public private partnership between Bray Town Council, Bray Chamber of Commerce and retailers' groups.
The committee hopes that the plan, which also includes proposals to improve Bray's chronic parking problems and tackle littering, will rejuvenate, revitalise and revive' the main commercial areas of the town.
Independent businesses who are interested in the scheme can apply for shopfront grants until Friday August 10, but are being urged to get their applications in immediately.
Bray People
Cramped Holles Street wants to be reborn in the suburbs
THE board of Dublin's famous Holles Street maternity hospital wants to move out of the centre of Dublin and build on a new site at St Vincent's in south Dublin.
Members of the hospital board have expressed serious concerns about the severe lack of space at the maternity hospital, which they say could affect its long-term future.
"In the longer term there is a need to relocate the hospital to another site and our preferred option would be St Vincent's University Hospital," says Deputy Chairman J Brian Davy. He said in the annual report published last week that: "The level of activity at the hospital is in excess of its designed capacity." If the hospital moves it would open up a huge quarter off Dublin's Merrion Square to developers and would herald the departure of yet another centre city hospital to the suburbs.
Recent reports have indicated that Holles Street could need as much as 50 per cent more space if it is to operate at its optimum potential while the Master of the hospital, Dr Michael Robson, has said the lack of space is affecting some of the most vulnerable patients in its wards.
"In our neo-natal unit we take in some of the most premature and difficult pregnancies and also small babies from the rest of the country are treated here, so in a sense when there is lack of space, they suffer as well," he said. "We also have limited theatre space and the C-section rate is going up so there are more pressures on those common areas of theatre. The busy departments will always suffer but the other departments will too because of the domino effect that the lack of space causes."
But he said the need to move was not just about lack of space but whether the old-fashioned layout of the hospital was appropriate for modern-day medicine.
Dr Robson says he is also aware of the huge historical significance that the current site holds and says he hopes to maintain some of its original artefacts. "If you look at the traditions and the masters, the hospital has some great historical links. How many maternity hospitals are called by the name of the street it's on? So it will undoubtedly be missed."
He went on: "Stand-alone maternity hospitals are also very rare nowadays and historically we have been in this site for just over a hundred years, 1994 was our centenary year. So we wouldn't want to go very far and I think it's appropriate we maintain our original catchment area."
The board hopes to move location as soon as possible and a report is currently been undertaken by consultants KPMG, which will be presented to the Health Service Executive.
Irish Independent
Members of the hospital board have expressed serious concerns about the severe lack of space at the maternity hospital, which they say could affect its long-term future.
"In the longer term there is a need to relocate the hospital to another site and our preferred option would be St Vincent's University Hospital," says Deputy Chairman J Brian Davy. He said in the annual report published last week that: "The level of activity at the hospital is in excess of its designed capacity." If the hospital moves it would open up a huge quarter off Dublin's Merrion Square to developers and would herald the departure of yet another centre city hospital to the suburbs.
Recent reports have indicated that Holles Street could need as much as 50 per cent more space if it is to operate at its optimum potential while the Master of the hospital, Dr Michael Robson, has said the lack of space is affecting some of the most vulnerable patients in its wards.
"In our neo-natal unit we take in some of the most premature and difficult pregnancies and also small babies from the rest of the country are treated here, so in a sense when there is lack of space, they suffer as well," he said. "We also have limited theatre space and the C-section rate is going up so there are more pressures on those common areas of theatre. The busy departments will always suffer but the other departments will too because of the domino effect that the lack of space causes."
But he said the need to move was not just about lack of space but whether the old-fashioned layout of the hospital was appropriate for modern-day medicine.
Dr Robson says he is also aware of the huge historical significance that the current site holds and says he hopes to maintain some of its original artefacts. "If you look at the traditions and the masters, the hospital has some great historical links. How many maternity hospitals are called by the name of the street it's on? So it will undoubtedly be missed."
He went on: "Stand-alone maternity hospitals are also very rare nowadays and historically we have been in this site for just over a hundred years, 1994 was our centenary year. So we wouldn't want to go very far and I think it's appropriate we maintain our original catchment area."
The board hopes to move location as soon as possible and a report is currently been undertaken by consultants KPMG, which will be presented to the Health Service Executive.
Irish Independent
Undaunted Dunne has plans for huge retail complex
DEVELOPER Sean Dunne's recent troubles with Dublin City Council have not stopped his ambitious plans - he's just sought permission to build Wicklow's biggest shopping centre.
The businessman has sought permission to develop an 80-acre site in Greystones which will see 20,000 square metres of shopping space, offices and 260 new homes built.
Despite having his proposal for a 32-storey skyscraper in Ballsbridge being shot down in recent weeks, the Carlow-born developer has pressed ahead with other business opportunities.
His plans for Charlesland in the Wicklow seaside town are part of a joint venture with Sean Mulryan.
The pair, trading as Zapi Properties, have lodged a planning application seeking permission for new homes, offices, community facilities and a district shopping centre which will be the largest in the Garden of Ireland.
At 80 acres, it will have twice the footprint of the Dundrum Town Centre, but be slightly less than the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, which sits on a 107-acre site.
The application comes after local councillors agreed to change the zoning of the site to allow mixed-use development in return for a number of community facilities being handed over.
The legal agreement reach last December includes a five-acre site for a primary school, a site for a new garda station and a recycling centre.
The community will also be given almost 3,000 square metres of an enterprise centre for start-up businesses, along with a €3m donation to develop a community centre.
In return, the developers - who are already building 1,400 new homes and commercial facilities on neighbouring land - would get the site rezoned to allow the current proposal go ahead.
The deal was strongly supported by most local councillors at the meeting.
Yesterday, Greystones Mayor Derek Mitchell (FG) welcomed the proposal, but said he had concerns that the enterprise centre was too small.
"We're delighted, it's a good deal for the town because we'll get €15-20m of investment.
"There is one issue I'm unhappy with, and that's the enterprise centre. 2,800 square metres is in the application, but the plans I have seen are not satisfactory. I hope the plans submitted will be larger because enterprise centres need space for car parking.
Jobs
"We need jobs in Greystones. We want to stop people commuting, and there'll be offices and the shopping centre here. We're the size of Sligo, and will finally have somewhere to buy washing machines and school uniforms."
If approved, Zapi will have 10 years in which to develop the site. The proposal includes over 32,000 square metres of office space, motor showrooms, a petrol station and 260 homes, of which 168 will be houses. A footbridge linking the site with Greystones will also be built.
In a separate development, a decision on whether a €300m marina will be built in Greystones is not now expected until August.
An Bord Pleanala was due to rule next week, but the decision has been deferred due to the complexity of the case.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
The businessman has sought permission to develop an 80-acre site in Greystones which will see 20,000 square metres of shopping space, offices and 260 new homes built.
Despite having his proposal for a 32-storey skyscraper in Ballsbridge being shot down in recent weeks, the Carlow-born developer has pressed ahead with other business opportunities.
His plans for Charlesland in the Wicklow seaside town are part of a joint venture with Sean Mulryan.
The pair, trading as Zapi Properties, have lodged a planning application seeking permission for new homes, offices, community facilities and a district shopping centre which will be the largest in the Garden of Ireland.
At 80 acres, it will have twice the footprint of the Dundrum Town Centre, but be slightly less than the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, which sits on a 107-acre site.
The application comes after local councillors agreed to change the zoning of the site to allow mixed-use development in return for a number of community facilities being handed over.
The legal agreement reach last December includes a five-acre site for a primary school, a site for a new garda station and a recycling centre.
The community will also be given almost 3,000 square metres of an enterprise centre for start-up businesses, along with a €3m donation to develop a community centre.
In return, the developers - who are already building 1,400 new homes and commercial facilities on neighbouring land - would get the site rezoned to allow the current proposal go ahead.
The deal was strongly supported by most local councillors at the meeting.
Yesterday, Greystones Mayor Derek Mitchell (FG) welcomed the proposal, but said he had concerns that the enterprise centre was too small.
"We're delighted, it's a good deal for the town because we'll get €15-20m of investment.
"There is one issue I'm unhappy with, and that's the enterprise centre. 2,800 square metres is in the application, but the plans I have seen are not satisfactory. I hope the plans submitted will be larger because enterprise centres need space for car parking.
Jobs
"We need jobs in Greystones. We want to stop people commuting, and there'll be offices and the shopping centre here. We're the size of Sligo, and will finally have somewhere to buy washing machines and school uniforms."
If approved, Zapi will have 10 years in which to develop the site. The proposal includes over 32,000 square metres of office space, motor showrooms, a petrol station and 260 homes, of which 168 will be houses. A footbridge linking the site with Greystones will also be built.
In a separate development, a decision on whether a €300m marina will be built in Greystones is not now expected until August.
An Bord Pleanala was due to rule next week, but the decision has been deferred due to the complexity of the case.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Friday, 22 June 2007
Our tap water ‘looks like muck’ says Grange man
A GRANGE resident has hit out at the state of the water in the village saying that it could be mistaken for coffee but it looks like it came out the “back end of a bullock”.
Grange residents are again facing a water crisis as the water coming out of their taps “looks like muck”.
One resident, David Large, who lives in Cloonaughbawn, Grange, said: “Yet again this problem has come back to haunt us. The water is disgusting. It looks like something that has come out the back end of a bullock. What are we supposed to do when the water is like this?”
He also hit out at the lack of action from Sligo County Council. “They are aware of the seriousness of the problem. But, no action is being taken and the residents here are not being told anything about how to cope. If we don’t watch it we could be in the same situation as the people of Galway.”
And while residents try their best to carry on despite the crisis, Mr Large added: “We have not been told what is going to be done. And worse we haven’t been told of the hazard of the water.”
He is particularly concerned after a high iron content was detected in the water. “Anyone with any aware-ness of their health will know that a high iron content is very dangerous. The level of iron in the water is way above the EU recommendation.
“And when you add this to the dark brown colour, how are people supposed to wash anything like vegetables or their dishes never mind how people are expected to take a shower in this water.
“This is going on for a long time now and it’s unacceptable that the basic resource of life, which is water, cannot be supplied.” With the water supply reaching crisis point, queues at local shops in the village are becoming the norm.
“What else are people supposed to do. The problem is back and yet again no one seems to care about how serious this is,” he added.
Sligo County Council issued a statement that a team of technical staff are working to ensure that a supply of quality water is restored to people in the north Sligo area.
A spokesperson said: “Raw water quality from the source in north Sligo varied quite considerably over the weekend due to the excessive rainfall towards the end of last week. “Due to this, customers in the north Sligo area are experiencing deterioration in water quality.
“Sligo County Council’s technical staff are working to ensure that a quality water supply is supplied to all customers as soon as possible.”
Sandra Coffey
© Sligo Weekender
Grange residents are again facing a water crisis as the water coming out of their taps “looks like muck”.
One resident, David Large, who lives in Cloonaughbawn, Grange, said: “Yet again this problem has come back to haunt us. The water is disgusting. It looks like something that has come out the back end of a bullock. What are we supposed to do when the water is like this?”
He also hit out at the lack of action from Sligo County Council. “They are aware of the seriousness of the problem. But, no action is being taken and the residents here are not being told anything about how to cope. If we don’t watch it we could be in the same situation as the people of Galway.”
And while residents try their best to carry on despite the crisis, Mr Large added: “We have not been told what is going to be done. And worse we haven’t been told of the hazard of the water.”
He is particularly concerned after a high iron content was detected in the water. “Anyone with any aware-ness of their health will know that a high iron content is very dangerous. The level of iron in the water is way above the EU recommendation.
“And when you add this to the dark brown colour, how are people supposed to wash anything like vegetables or their dishes never mind how people are expected to take a shower in this water.
“This is going on for a long time now and it’s unacceptable that the basic resource of life, which is water, cannot be supplied.” With the water supply reaching crisis point, queues at local shops in the village are becoming the norm.
“What else are people supposed to do. The problem is back and yet again no one seems to care about how serious this is,” he added.
Sligo County Council issued a statement that a team of technical staff are working to ensure that a supply of quality water is restored to people in the north Sligo area.
A spokesperson said: “Raw water quality from the source in north Sligo varied quite considerably over the weekend due to the excessive rainfall towards the end of last week. “Due to this, customers in the north Sligo area are experiencing deterioration in water quality.
“Sligo County Council’s technical staff are working to ensure that a quality water supply is supplied to all customers as soon as possible.”
Sandra Coffey
© Sligo Weekender
Scientist blames deadly water bug on new houses
THE deadly bug that contaminated tap water supplies in Galway and throughout the country may be caused by the building new houses on unsuitable farmland.
Leading US scientist Richard Martin yesterday said that cryptosporidium could be caused by houses being built on what was once traditional farming land where water is prone to contamination.
Addressing the Engineering Ireland Conference in Athlone, the manager with NSF International USA argued that insufficient waste and water treatment infrastructure generated the outbreak of cryptosporidium.
Extreme weather incidents and geological issues like the condition of the subsoil were also cited as a factor.
"Combined with rapid residential development in previous farming areas, there are more access points for contaminated surface water to reach ground water," he said in Athlone.
However, this was vehemently denied by Galway City Council yesterday who said that all developments had been in compliance with planning regulations.
"Any development, residential or otherwise, has been in line with regulations", said City Council spokesperson Maire Ni Mhullain.
"Our development plan was approved by the Department of the Environment and was built based around the regulations guidelines and the National Development Plan."
Despite this, former Mayor of Galway and Green councillor Niall O Brolchain said it was "quite clear that the cryptosporidium outbreak was caused by overdevelopment".
"There have been many new houses around the city and no adequate sewerage treatment. The planning provided isn't sufficient."
Treacy Hogan and Patricia McDonagh
© Irish Independent
Leading US scientist Richard Martin yesterday said that cryptosporidium could be caused by houses being built on what was once traditional farming land where water is prone to contamination.
Addressing the Engineering Ireland Conference in Athlone, the manager with NSF International USA argued that insufficient waste and water treatment infrastructure generated the outbreak of cryptosporidium.
Extreme weather incidents and geological issues like the condition of the subsoil were also cited as a factor.
"Combined with rapid residential development in previous farming areas, there are more access points for contaminated surface water to reach ground water," he said in Athlone.
However, this was vehemently denied by Galway City Council yesterday who said that all developments had been in compliance with planning regulations.
"Any development, residential or otherwise, has been in line with regulations", said City Council spokesperson Maire Ni Mhullain.
"Our development plan was approved by the Department of the Environment and was built based around the regulations guidelines and the National Development Plan."
Despite this, former Mayor of Galway and Green councillor Niall O Brolchain said it was "quite clear that the cryptosporidium outbreak was caused by overdevelopment".
"There have been many new houses around the city and no adequate sewerage treatment. The planning provided isn't sufficient."
Treacy Hogan and Patricia McDonagh
© Irish Independent
Shock and anger at Knock decision
MEP Markin Harkin said this week that the An Bord Pleanala’s refusal of permission to the Department of Community Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs for the relocation of the Department and Ministerial headquarters to a site at Knock Airport, as part of the Government decentralisation programme, was a further example of how An Bord Pleanala was prepared to have different policies for the West of Ireland and Dublin West. “Despite the well founded advice of the National Roads Authority to refuse
planning permission for the IKEA development which is certain to cause further chaos on the M50, An Bord Pleanala in a weasel word permission has managed to justify a positive decision while it has plumbed the depths of shallow and wrong headed justification to refuse permission for the offices at Ireland West Airport,” she said. She urged Minister Eamon O’Cuiv to challenge the decision of An Bord Pleanala through a High Court appeal and to refuse to accept the decision of An Bord Pleanala which was a further example of “that body’s inability to acknowledge the core Government commitment to balanced regional development”.
© Roscommon Herald
planning permission for the IKEA development which is certain to cause further chaos on the M50, An Bord Pleanala in a weasel word permission has managed to justify a positive decision while it has plumbed the depths of shallow and wrong headed justification to refuse permission for the offices at Ireland West Airport,” she said. She urged Minister Eamon O’Cuiv to challenge the decision of An Bord Pleanala through a High Court appeal and to refuse to accept the decision of An Bord Pleanala which was a further example of “that body’s inability to acknowledge the core Government commitment to balanced regional development”.
© Roscommon Herald
Redress of €1,000 paid over loss of right to appeal
A woman and her neighbours who lost their statutory right to object to a planning application after an oversight by Wexford County Council received €1,000 each following an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.
According to the office's 2006 annual report, when the woman and her neighbours tried to inspect the planning application for a development beside their homes, they were incorrectly told that the council had received no such application.
It transpired that the council had noted the electoral address rather than the postal address of the proposed development in its computer system, but by the time the application was discovered, it was too late for her to apply.
She was also mistakenly advised by the council to apply to An Bord Pleanála for leave to appeal, which involved an accompanying fee. This application was subsequently turned down by the board.
The ombudsman asked the council to provide redress, which it did in the form of €1,000 each to the complainant and to each of her neighbours. This was in recognition of their statutory loss of the right to appeal, plus a refund of the fees incurred in appealing to An Bord Pleanála.
John Downes
© Irish Times
According to the office's 2006 annual report, when the woman and her neighbours tried to inspect the planning application for a development beside their homes, they were incorrectly told that the council had received no such application.
It transpired that the council had noted the electoral address rather than the postal address of the proposed development in its computer system, but by the time the application was discovered, it was too late for her to apply.
She was also mistakenly advised by the council to apply to An Bord Pleanála for leave to appeal, which involved an accompanying fee. This application was subsequently turned down by the board.
The ombudsman asked the council to provide redress, which it did in the form of €1,000 each to the complainant and to each of her neighbours. This was in recognition of their statutory loss of the right to appeal, plus a refund of the fees incurred in appealing to An Bord Pleanála.
John Downes
© Irish Times
Wicklow quarry blasting blocked by residents
Residents of Ashford, Co Wicklow, are claiming a victory after gardaí refused to permit the use of explosives at a local quarry. Gardaí had previously facilitated the controlled use of explosives by O'Reilly Brothers (Wicklow) Ltd, at an unauthorised quarry at Ballylusk, by being present during blasting.
On these occasions, gardaí had asked neighbours to leave their properties while the blasts were taking place for safety.
When local residents received a letter from O'Reilly Brothers last week warning them of the planned use of explosives yesterday, they contacted gardaí to complain. Ballylusk quarry, they said, does not have planning permission and they asked if it was appropriate for gardaí to facilitate unauthorised activity.
They pointed out that, in 2003, An Bord Pleanála ruled work at the quarry was not an exempt activity and planning permission was required.
They said the ruling was upheld by the High Court in an unsuccessful action taken by O'Reilly Brothers last year.
Following the complaints, gardaí said they would not facilitate the blasting yesterday.
A spokesman for the Garda Press Office told The Irish Times a review of Garda co-operation had taken place following the High Court case.
Wicklow County Council is taking an enforcement case against the quarry operators and gardaí said they would be following the outcome closely.
Calls to O'Reilly Brothers Ltd were not returned yesterday. A spokesman for the company previously said it did not accept the quarry was an unauthorised development. He claimed it had been registered as a quarry by Wicklow County Council in 1994.
The spokesman said there had been continuous operation of the quarry since the late 1800s, predating the planning laws and obviating the need for formal planning permission.
The council did not return calls on the subject yesterday.
The locals refused to be named, partly because of an earlier agreement with the quarry owners, under which they accepted compensation for loss of amenity in return for a confidentiality clause.
Last December, Mr Justice John Quirke told O'Reilly Brothers Ltd that An Bord Pleanála had not erred when it ruled in July 2003 that the quarry was required to have planning permission.
He criticised Wicklow County Council's role in the affair, describing its documentation as "deplorable" and "rag-tag".
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
On these occasions, gardaí had asked neighbours to leave their properties while the blasts were taking place for safety.
When local residents received a letter from O'Reilly Brothers last week warning them of the planned use of explosives yesterday, they contacted gardaí to complain. Ballylusk quarry, they said, does not have planning permission and they asked if it was appropriate for gardaí to facilitate unauthorised activity.
They pointed out that, in 2003, An Bord Pleanála ruled work at the quarry was not an exempt activity and planning permission was required.
They said the ruling was upheld by the High Court in an unsuccessful action taken by O'Reilly Brothers last year.
Following the complaints, gardaí said they would not facilitate the blasting yesterday.
A spokesman for the Garda Press Office told The Irish Times a review of Garda co-operation had taken place following the High Court case.
Wicklow County Council is taking an enforcement case against the quarry operators and gardaí said they would be following the outcome closely.
Calls to O'Reilly Brothers Ltd were not returned yesterday. A spokesman for the company previously said it did not accept the quarry was an unauthorised development. He claimed it had been registered as a quarry by Wicklow County Council in 1994.
The spokesman said there had been continuous operation of the quarry since the late 1800s, predating the planning laws and obviating the need for formal planning permission.
The council did not return calls on the subject yesterday.
The locals refused to be named, partly because of an earlier agreement with the quarry owners, under which they accepted compensation for loss of amenity in return for a confidentiality clause.
Last December, Mr Justice John Quirke told O'Reilly Brothers Ltd that An Bord Pleanála had not erred when it ruled in July 2003 that the quarry was required to have planning permission.
He criticised Wicklow County Council's role in the affair, describing its documentation as "deplorable" and "rag-tag".
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
SEA needed for decision on Fingal sewage plant: council
FINGAL County Council is not pre-empting in any way the outcome of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the GDSDS strategy, which includes a proposal to build a regional sewage plant at Portrane.
The local authority council has also said it will not attempt to make any decisions about the recommendations within the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, before the full SEA is published.
Last week, campaign group Fairshare said it was getting indications that Fingal County Council might be prepared to cut a deal with the community on the controversial proposal.
Fairshare claimed that in return for dropping the proposed plant, the council was lining up to propose that Portrane take an outfall pipe linked up to a 22km orbital sewer. However, the council has said the assembly of the SEA is a statutory process which will require at least two distinct phases of open public consultation.
‘The SEA process is still ongoing and cannot be interfered with, nor would we wish to do so,’ said a council spokeswoman.‘We are therefore waiting for the outcome of the independent assessment in the SEA before we examine the options for treating wastewater in the region, that may arise from its findings.’
Fairshare’s Neil Dempsey said the group is against the orbital sewer.
© Fingal Independent
The local authority council has also said it will not attempt to make any decisions about the recommendations within the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, before the full SEA is published.
Last week, campaign group Fairshare said it was getting indications that Fingal County Council might be prepared to cut a deal with the community on the controversial proposal.
Fairshare claimed that in return for dropping the proposed plant, the council was lining up to propose that Portrane take an outfall pipe linked up to a 22km orbital sewer. However, the council has said the assembly of the SEA is a statutory process which will require at least two distinct phases of open public consultation.
‘The SEA process is still ongoing and cannot be interfered with, nor would we wish to do so,’ said a council spokeswoman.‘We are therefore waiting for the outcome of the independent assessment in the SEA before we examine the options for treating wastewater in the region, that may arise from its findings.’
Fairshare’s Neil Dempsey said the group is against the orbital sewer.
© Fingal Independent
Gormley challenged over M3 monument advice
Minister for the Environment John Gormley has been challenged to publish any advice he received from the Attorney General suggesting the Minister has no power to overturn the order permitting the destruction of a national monument on the route of the M3 at Lismullen, Co Meath.
The challenge came from the Labour Party spokesman on the environment, Eamon Gilmore, who said there was nothing to justify the Minister's statement that he was legally bound by the decision of his predecessor, Dick Roche.
"Indeed it is not at all clear that Mr Gormley ever actually received a written opinion from the Attorney General, as the statement he issued last week justifying his decision not to overturn Mr Roche's decision referred only to
having 'consulted with the Office of the Attorney General'. However, one would have thought that on an issue of such importance a formal written opinion would be required," Mr Gilmore said.
He added that Mr Gormley's statement on the case confined itself to setting out reasons in favour of an argument that Dick Roche was correct to authorise the excavation and subsequent destruction of the national monument there.
"He may or may not be correct in that opinion, but it is clearly not the opinion shared by a great many Green Party members, environmental activists and others concerned with our archaeological heritage. An opinion that Dick Roche's decision can be justified on policy grounds is not at all the same thing as an opinion that, as a matter of law, his decision is written in stone and cannot be reversed or amended," Mr Gilmore said.
He added that there was nothing in the statement that justified the argument that Mr Gormley was legally bound by the decision of his predecessor and it was clear that the Minister had arrived at this view before he consulted the Attorney General.
"The idea that the decision on Lismullen was a 'quasi-judicial' one is misconceived and seems designed to confuse and distract from the real issue. If a quasi-judicial function was being performed, there would have had to have been a hearing, with an obligation to hear arguments both for and against destruction at Lismullen, before the decision was made. In fact there was no such hearing - because it was not a quasi-judicial process at all.
"Each Government Minister is not only entitled but obliged to bring his or her own policies, principles and mandate to bear on decisions made in office. Minister Gormley chose not to do so.
"The public is entitled to see whatever legal advice, if any, was available to Minister Gormley, when he decided not to take any action to overturn the order made by Dick Roche," concluded Mr Gilmore.
Stephen Collins
© 2007 The Irish Times
The challenge came from the Labour Party spokesman on the environment, Eamon Gilmore, who said there was nothing to justify the Minister's statement that he was legally bound by the decision of his predecessor, Dick Roche.
"Indeed it is not at all clear that Mr Gormley ever actually received a written opinion from the Attorney General, as the statement he issued last week justifying his decision not to overturn Mr Roche's decision referred only to
having 'consulted with the Office of the Attorney General'. However, one would have thought that on an issue of such importance a formal written opinion would be required," Mr Gilmore said.
He added that Mr Gormley's statement on the case confined itself to setting out reasons in favour of an argument that Dick Roche was correct to authorise the excavation and subsequent destruction of the national monument there.
"He may or may not be correct in that opinion, but it is clearly not the opinion shared by a great many Green Party members, environmental activists and others concerned with our archaeological heritage. An opinion that Dick Roche's decision can be justified on policy grounds is not at all the same thing as an opinion that, as a matter of law, his decision is written in stone and cannot be reversed or amended," Mr Gilmore said.
He added that there was nothing in the statement that justified the argument that Mr Gormley was legally bound by the decision of his predecessor and it was clear that the Minister had arrived at this view before he consulted the Attorney General.
"The idea that the decision on Lismullen was a 'quasi-judicial' one is misconceived and seems designed to confuse and distract from the real issue. If a quasi-judicial function was being performed, there would have had to have been a hearing, with an obligation to hear arguments both for and against destruction at Lismullen, before the decision was made. In fact there was no such hearing - because it was not a quasi-judicial process at all.
"Each Government Minister is not only entitled but obliged to bring his or her own policies, principles and mandate to bear on decisions made in office. Minister Gormley chose not to do so.
"The public is entitled to see whatever legal advice, if any, was available to Minister Gormley, when he decided not to take any action to overturn the order made by Dick Roche," concluded Mr Gilmore.
Stephen Collins
© 2007 The Irish Times
The TD, the developer and the holiday haven
TONY Gaughan first came to public attention in 2001 when he was spotted accompanying Beverley Flynn during her libel case against RTE.
The 50-year-old property developer had already established himself as a major player in his native Mayo over the previous decade, building housing estates in Westport and Castlebar.
But he was a frequent visitor to Doohoma, the remote north Mayo village where he grew up.
Located more than 50 miles from Castlebar, it has always suffered from massive emigration due to the lack of employment.
A famous RTE documentary in 1972 showed how the men in the village spent nine months of the year labouring on farms and building sites in England to send money home to their families.
And Mr Gaughan followed this path, travelling to England as a young man to work in the construction industry there.
But while other emigrants suffered from the burden of exile or alcoholism, he prospered and returned to Mayo a wealthy man.
He set up his own building company, TJ Gaughan Construction, in 1990.
According to the most recent accounts filed by the company, Mr Gaughan and his two fellow directors shared a salary of €250,000 in 2005.
They also benefited from a €3.9m payment into their pension scheme, compared to just €200,000 in 2004. The company has stocks of €8.2m.
At some point, Mr Gaughan decided to build a holiday home in his native village but he wouldhave been well aware ofthe problems thispresented.
Although the planning climate was much looser in Mayo in 1997, it would still have been extremely difficult to secure a site in one of the most scenic parts of the village.
But there was a desirable site available, just 200 metres from the local beach, and with spectacular views of Tullaghan Bay and Achill Island.
It was owned by a local small farmer, John Cooney.
According to planning files provided by Mayo County Council to the Irish Independent , his daughter Breege applied for planning permission to build on the one hectare site in May 1997.
On the face of it, it seemed a curious decision.
Ms Cooney had a job in the village's only factory, the now closed Eagle Isle Seafoods, but as someone living in a council house, it would presumably have been difficult for her to raise the finance for a large house on the site.
But her connection to the land meant that her planning application was almost guaranteed to succeed.
Under the section which required Ms Cooney to state her interest in the site, it said: "owner is applicant's father".
The application included detailed architect's drawings of the proposed 120 square metre house, with four bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room.
There was provision for a winding driveway up to the house and a new entrance to the public road via "a 3.6m wide gate".
The planners were also supplied with a copy of a small advertisement in the 'Western People' newspaper in May 1997 to show that requirement to notify the public had been complied with.
The ad was signed "B Cooney".
The planning application was duly granted in September, 1997.
According to Mr Gaughan's account of events, he had "no hand, act or part" in Ms Cooney's planning application and wasn't even aware it was being made.
However, according to documents from the Land Registry, he was named as the "full owner" of the Doohoma site on December 9, 1997 - just four months after planning permission had been granted. He subsequently obtained a land registration certificate on July 6, 1998.
Around the same time, there was a dramatic improvement in the Cooney family's housing status. John Cooney and his family had been living in a run-down council house in the village.
But in 1998, Mayo County Council built a new house for the family on the same site.
Ms Cooney's father, John, died in 2004, but she is still living in the family's council house.
Her mother Kate is listed by Mayo County Council as the main tenant.
The village has a charming, old-fashioned shop which doubles as a post office and a travelling grocer who calls to houses every Friday in his lorry.
The young people of the area are still migrating for work - albeit to Castlebar, Galway and Dublin rather than Britain.
Meanwhile, Mr Gaughan went on to build a holiday home on the coastal site, with a garage and a conservatory. It is located on the hillside overlooking the bay, with a curved tarmac driveway leading down to a set of locked black gates with gold ornamental decorations.
It is just 200 metres away from a sandy beach. There is no post box or name plate.
According to the Land Registry, the site was once part of 107 hectares of commonage land, which was subsequently divided into 50 sections.
All of the owners have been trying for the past six years to get a vesting order from the Department of Agriculture which would give them full legal title to their lands.
Mayo County Council has conceded it is "highly unlikely" that Mr Gaughan would now be permitted to build a holiday home in the area using planning permission granted to another person.
Under the 2005 sustainable housing guidelines, householders generally have to declare that they intend to use their rural one-off house themselves and cannot sell it for at least seven years.
But there was no "owner occupancy clause" inserted in Ms Cooney's 1997 planning permission - meaning that her father was entitled to sell the land to Mr Gaughan for building.
Mr Gaughan is now building another home in Doohoma on the site of his grandfather's former house.
He said it was for a cousin of his who is living in England.
It is not yet finished, so there are heaps of sand, timber and concrete blocks.
There's a site office in a port-a-cabin and the window frames are covered by blue plastic sheeting.
There is also a telescopic loader with a "T Gaughan Westport Road Castlebar" sticker on it.
He and his long-term partner Beverley Flynn are well known in the area due to their frequent stays in the holiday house.
Indeed, her popularity in the area was reflected in the fact that she got 50pc of the vote (117 ballots out of 234) in Doohoma in the general election.
Mr Gaughan did his bit for her election victory, canvassing personally for her in the Erris peninsula.
He also provided the prime Castlebar town site for the 'Flynn Headquarters', which had been previously occupied by a fruit and vegetable shop. When she took the final seat in the Mayo constituency, Ms Flynn personally thanked him in her victory speech.
However, she will not welcome the publicity about her holiday home as she attempts to navigate yet another obstacle in her stormy political career.
Ms Flynn is depending on a verbal assurance from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that she will be re-admitted to Fianna Fail and appointed as a junior minister - if she can successfully deal with the bankruptcy proceedings being brought by RTE.
She did not return a call seeking comment.
There has been speculation that Mr Gaughan may step in as a "white knight" to save her but so far he has not done so.
If the couple married, he would avoid the prohibitive gift tax rate of 20pc (which could add another €600,000 onto the bill), but he has not done that so far, either.
Irish Independent
The 50-year-old property developer had already established himself as a major player in his native Mayo over the previous decade, building housing estates in Westport and Castlebar.
But he was a frequent visitor to Doohoma, the remote north Mayo village where he grew up.
Located more than 50 miles from Castlebar, it has always suffered from massive emigration due to the lack of employment.
A famous RTE documentary in 1972 showed how the men in the village spent nine months of the year labouring on farms and building sites in England to send money home to their families.
And Mr Gaughan followed this path, travelling to England as a young man to work in the construction industry there.
But while other emigrants suffered from the burden of exile or alcoholism, he prospered and returned to Mayo a wealthy man.
He set up his own building company, TJ Gaughan Construction, in 1990.
According to the most recent accounts filed by the company, Mr Gaughan and his two fellow directors shared a salary of €250,000 in 2005.
They also benefited from a €3.9m payment into their pension scheme, compared to just €200,000 in 2004. The company has stocks of €8.2m.
At some point, Mr Gaughan decided to build a holiday home in his native village but he wouldhave been well aware ofthe problems thispresented.
Although the planning climate was much looser in Mayo in 1997, it would still have been extremely difficult to secure a site in one of the most scenic parts of the village.
But there was a desirable site available, just 200 metres from the local beach, and with spectacular views of Tullaghan Bay and Achill Island.
It was owned by a local small farmer, John Cooney.
According to planning files provided by Mayo County Council to the Irish Independent , his daughter Breege applied for planning permission to build on the one hectare site in May 1997.
On the face of it, it seemed a curious decision.
Ms Cooney had a job in the village's only factory, the now closed Eagle Isle Seafoods, but as someone living in a council house, it would presumably have been difficult for her to raise the finance for a large house on the site.
But her connection to the land meant that her planning application was almost guaranteed to succeed.
Under the section which required Ms Cooney to state her interest in the site, it said: "owner is applicant's father".
The application included detailed architect's drawings of the proposed 120 square metre house, with four bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room.
There was provision for a winding driveway up to the house and a new entrance to the public road via "a 3.6m wide gate".
The planners were also supplied with a copy of a small advertisement in the 'Western People' newspaper in May 1997 to show that requirement to notify the public had been complied with.
The ad was signed "B Cooney".
The planning application was duly granted in September, 1997.
According to Mr Gaughan's account of events, he had "no hand, act or part" in Ms Cooney's planning application and wasn't even aware it was being made.
However, according to documents from the Land Registry, he was named as the "full owner" of the Doohoma site on December 9, 1997 - just four months after planning permission had been granted. He subsequently obtained a land registration certificate on July 6, 1998.
Around the same time, there was a dramatic improvement in the Cooney family's housing status. John Cooney and his family had been living in a run-down council house in the village.
But in 1998, Mayo County Council built a new house for the family on the same site.
Ms Cooney's father, John, died in 2004, but she is still living in the family's council house.
Her mother Kate is listed by Mayo County Council as the main tenant.
The village has a charming, old-fashioned shop which doubles as a post office and a travelling grocer who calls to houses every Friday in his lorry.
The young people of the area are still migrating for work - albeit to Castlebar, Galway and Dublin rather than Britain.
Meanwhile, Mr Gaughan went on to build a holiday home on the coastal site, with a garage and a conservatory. It is located on the hillside overlooking the bay, with a curved tarmac driveway leading down to a set of locked black gates with gold ornamental decorations.
It is just 200 metres away from a sandy beach. There is no post box or name plate.
According to the Land Registry, the site was once part of 107 hectares of commonage land, which was subsequently divided into 50 sections.
All of the owners have been trying for the past six years to get a vesting order from the Department of Agriculture which would give them full legal title to their lands.
Mayo County Council has conceded it is "highly unlikely" that Mr Gaughan would now be permitted to build a holiday home in the area using planning permission granted to another person.
Under the 2005 sustainable housing guidelines, householders generally have to declare that they intend to use their rural one-off house themselves and cannot sell it for at least seven years.
But there was no "owner occupancy clause" inserted in Ms Cooney's 1997 planning permission - meaning that her father was entitled to sell the land to Mr Gaughan for building.
Mr Gaughan is now building another home in Doohoma on the site of his grandfather's former house.
He said it was for a cousin of his who is living in England.
It is not yet finished, so there are heaps of sand, timber and concrete blocks.
There's a site office in a port-a-cabin and the window frames are covered by blue plastic sheeting.
There is also a telescopic loader with a "T Gaughan Westport Road Castlebar" sticker on it.
He and his long-term partner Beverley Flynn are well known in the area due to their frequent stays in the holiday house.
Indeed, her popularity in the area was reflected in the fact that she got 50pc of the vote (117 ballots out of 234) in Doohoma in the general election.
Mr Gaughan did his bit for her election victory, canvassing personally for her in the Erris peninsula.
He also provided the prime Castlebar town site for the 'Flynn Headquarters', which had been previously occupied by a fruit and vegetable shop. When she took the final seat in the Mayo constituency, Ms Flynn personally thanked him in her victory speech.
However, she will not welcome the publicity about her holiday home as she attempts to navigate yet another obstacle in her stormy political career.
Ms Flynn is depending on a verbal assurance from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that she will be re-admitted to Fianna Fail and appointed as a junior minister - if she can successfully deal with the bankruptcy proceedings being brought by RTE.
She did not return a call seeking comment.
There has been speculation that Mr Gaughan may step in as a "white knight" to save her but so far he has not done so.
If the couple married, he would avoid the prohibitive gift tax rate of 20pc (which could add another €600,000 onto the bill), but he has not done that so far, either.
Irish Independent
Council members face ban after court decision
THREE county councillors will be thrown off their local authority within seven days and banned from holding office for five years unless they each pay €64,000 in a blazing row over a pet crematorium.
The Wicklow councillors, including Labour's Nicky Kelly, have just been given the ultimatum by Eddie Sheehy, the Wicklow County Manager, but plan to go to the Supreme Court today to fight back.
The removal from office, which is automatic under law if they refuse to pay the money to the council, would be unprecedented in local government history.
It arose after the three councillors were hit with a huge legal bill arising from an unsuccessful High Court challenge to a decision by Mr Sheehy to grant planning permission for the conversion of a milking parlour into a pet crematorium at Oghill, Redcross.
Costs
The council confirmed to the Irish Independent yesterday that Mr Sheehy had written to the three councillors seeking the costs within a week and advising them of the mandatory disqualification.
If the money is not paid within seven days, they will be disqualified from the council for five years, a spokesperson added.
Where a councillor fails to comply with a court order in relation to monies owed to any local authority, the Local Government Act 2001 specifically provides for the automatic disqualification of that councillor.
In a statement yesterday, the council said that in July 2000, councillors passed a Section 4 planning motion directing the former county manager to refuse planning permission for the crematorium.
The manager, having considered the direction of the councillors and following legal and planning advice, decided to grant permission for the development, subject to a number of conditions.
"Despite being advised in writing by the then county secretary that any member causing legal proceedings to be issued would be personally liable for any costs arising, a small number of individual councillors did take legal proceedings in the High Court in relation to this matter," the statement added.
Following a lengthy legal process, the High Court in its judgment found that the former county manager was correct in his decision.
The councillors - Mr Kelly, Pat Doran (Ind) and Tommy Cullen (Ind) - are to go to the Supreme Court today to seek a stay on the order against them.
The council said the costs were taxed (ie, assessed) by the Taxing Master in October, 2006 at €184,985.29 but had not yet been paid.
Ultimatum
Mr Kelly said yesterday: "The action was taken for the common good. We were acting for our constituents. There is no precedent for this ultimatum."
He was seeking an urgent meeting with new Environment Minister John Gormley on the matter.
In judgment, Mr JusticeO Caoimh said it was clear the proceedings instituted in the name of Wicklow County Council were at no time authorised by members of the council and in fact were commenced on the instructions of three members who did not have authority from other members to institute them.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
The Wicklow councillors, including Labour's Nicky Kelly, have just been given the ultimatum by Eddie Sheehy, the Wicklow County Manager, but plan to go to the Supreme Court today to fight back.
The removal from office, which is automatic under law if they refuse to pay the money to the council, would be unprecedented in local government history.
It arose after the three councillors were hit with a huge legal bill arising from an unsuccessful High Court challenge to a decision by Mr Sheehy to grant planning permission for the conversion of a milking parlour into a pet crematorium at Oghill, Redcross.
Costs
The council confirmed to the Irish Independent yesterday that Mr Sheehy had written to the three councillors seeking the costs within a week and advising them of the mandatory disqualification.
If the money is not paid within seven days, they will be disqualified from the council for five years, a spokesperson added.
Where a councillor fails to comply with a court order in relation to monies owed to any local authority, the Local Government Act 2001 specifically provides for the automatic disqualification of that councillor.
In a statement yesterday, the council said that in July 2000, councillors passed a Section 4 planning motion directing the former county manager to refuse planning permission for the crematorium.
The manager, having considered the direction of the councillors and following legal and planning advice, decided to grant permission for the development, subject to a number of conditions.
"Despite being advised in writing by the then county secretary that any member causing legal proceedings to be issued would be personally liable for any costs arising, a small number of individual councillors did take legal proceedings in the High Court in relation to this matter," the statement added.
Following a lengthy legal process, the High Court in its judgment found that the former county manager was correct in his decision.
The councillors - Mr Kelly, Pat Doran (Ind) and Tommy Cullen (Ind) - are to go to the Supreme Court today to seek a stay on the order against them.
The council said the costs were taxed (ie, assessed) by the Taxing Master in October, 2006 at €184,985.29 but had not yet been paid.
Ultimatum
Mr Kelly said yesterday: "The action was taken for the common good. We were acting for our constituents. There is no precedent for this ultimatum."
He was seeking an urgent meeting with new Environment Minister John Gormley on the matter.
In judgment, Mr JusticeO Caoimh said it was clear the proceedings instituted in the name of Wicklow County Council were at no time authorised by members of the council and in fact were commenced on the instructions of three members who did not have authority from other members to institute them.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Planning twist over Bev's holiday home
THE millionaire partner of newly elected TD Beverley Flynn built the couple's idyllic holiday home using planning permission obtained by a local woman living in a council house.
Builder Tony Gaughan bought the one hectare site for the scenic retreat on the edge of the Atlantic in 1997.
The 50-year-old property developer was able to use planning permission which had been obtained by the daughter of the landowner in Doohoma, north Mayo, just four months earlier.
He is a frequent visitor to the home with his partner Ms Flynn, with whom he has two children.
She is currently facing bankruptcy proceedings taken by RTE over her failure to pay almost €3m in legal costs from her failed libel case.
The holiday home is located in an area which is now the subject of planning restrictions due to its scenic beauty.
It is just 200 metres from a sandy beach and has uninterrupted views of Tullaghan Bay and Achill Island.
Although the planning climate was much looser in Mayo in 1997, it would still have been extremely difficult to secure a site in one of the most scenic parts of the village.
However, the woman who made the planning permission application was Breege Cooney, a single woman living in a council house in Doohoma.
Her late father John owned the site at the time. And her connection to the land meant her planning application was almost guaranteed to succeed.
An investigation by the Irish Independent has revealed the application was made on her behalf by Castlebar-based planning agent John Hamrock, who has made more than a dozen planning applications for Mr Gaughan.
Mr Hamrock was unavailable for comment last night.
Ms Cooney confirmed to the Irish Independent that she had never lived in the house.
She said she allowed her name to be used on the planning application for the site as part of an arrangement between herself and Mr Gaughan.
But she would not reveal any further details.
"What happened between me and Tony was between ourselves," she said.
Ms Cooney and her family had been living in a run-down council house but, in 1998, Mayo council built a new bungalow for them.
The Irish Independent contacted Mr Gaughan, who denied that he had made any arrangement with Ms Cooney.
He also denied that he had asked her to seek planning permission for a house on the site.
Mr Gaughan said he had bought the site from Ms Cooney's father John (now deceased) after the planning permission had been granted, and that all his actions had been "100pc legit".
When asked if the involvement of Mr Hamrock in the planning application showed a connection to him, Mr Gaughan said the agent carried out lots of planning applications for people all over the North Mayo area.
Mayo county council insisted Mr Gaughan had not broken any planning laws.
"It's not an issue for us, whatever happened before or after the planning permission was given," a spokesman said. He rejected claims the council was "going easy" on Mr Gaughan.
Mr Gaughan and Ms Flynn's main residence is a mansion outside Castlebar, which has been dubbed 'Beverley Hills' by locals.
Ms Flynn did not return a call seeking comment about the revelations.
Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
Builder Tony Gaughan bought the one hectare site for the scenic retreat on the edge of the Atlantic in 1997.
The 50-year-old property developer was able to use planning permission which had been obtained by the daughter of the landowner in Doohoma, north Mayo, just four months earlier.
He is a frequent visitor to the home with his partner Ms Flynn, with whom he has two children.
She is currently facing bankruptcy proceedings taken by RTE over her failure to pay almost €3m in legal costs from her failed libel case.
The holiday home is located in an area which is now the subject of planning restrictions due to its scenic beauty.
It is just 200 metres from a sandy beach and has uninterrupted views of Tullaghan Bay and Achill Island.
Although the planning climate was much looser in Mayo in 1997, it would still have been extremely difficult to secure a site in one of the most scenic parts of the village.
However, the woman who made the planning permission application was Breege Cooney, a single woman living in a council house in Doohoma.
Her late father John owned the site at the time. And her connection to the land meant her planning application was almost guaranteed to succeed.
An investigation by the Irish Independent has revealed the application was made on her behalf by Castlebar-based planning agent John Hamrock, who has made more than a dozen planning applications for Mr Gaughan.
Mr Hamrock was unavailable for comment last night.
Ms Cooney confirmed to the Irish Independent that she had never lived in the house.
She said she allowed her name to be used on the planning application for the site as part of an arrangement between herself and Mr Gaughan.
But she would not reveal any further details.
"What happened between me and Tony was between ourselves," she said.
Ms Cooney and her family had been living in a run-down council house but, in 1998, Mayo council built a new bungalow for them.
The Irish Independent contacted Mr Gaughan, who denied that he had made any arrangement with Ms Cooney.
He also denied that he had asked her to seek planning permission for a house on the site.
Mr Gaughan said he had bought the site from Ms Cooney's father John (now deceased) after the planning permission had been granted, and that all his actions had been "100pc legit".
When asked if the involvement of Mr Hamrock in the planning application showed a connection to him, Mr Gaughan said the agent carried out lots of planning applications for people all over the North Mayo area.
Mayo county council insisted Mr Gaughan had not broken any planning laws.
"It's not an issue for us, whatever happened before or after the planning permission was given," a spokesman said. He rejected claims the council was "going easy" on Mr Gaughan.
Mr Gaughan and Ms Flynn's main residence is a mansion outside Castlebar, which has been dubbed 'Beverley Hills' by locals.
Ms Flynn did not return a call seeking comment about the revelations.
Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
Ryanair calls for block to terminal plans
Ryanair has called on the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) to either block the Dublin Airport Authority’s (DAA) plans for its €850 million second terminal at Dublin Airport — saying that it’s “the wrong size, wrong cost and in the wrong location” — or force Aer Lingus, who will occupy the facility, to pay for it.
“The CAR’s draft decision has now confirmed what Ryanair has been saying all along — DAA’s T2 is excessively large and grossly expensive. Despite this, the CAR is allowing DAA to proceed with this development and the regulator expects Ryanair’s passengers to subsidise this white elephant, which will never be fully utilised because of Fingal County Council planning restrictions,” said Ryanair’s head of regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan.
Irish Examiner
“The CAR’s draft decision has now confirmed what Ryanair has been saying all along — DAA’s T2 is excessively large and grossly expensive. Despite this, the CAR is allowing DAA to proceed with this development and the regulator expects Ryanair’s passengers to subsidise this white elephant, which will never be fully utilised because of Fingal County Council planning restrictions,” said Ryanair’s head of regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan.
Irish Examiner
Council rules out lake water supply
THE possibility of taking water from mountain lakes to supply Kenmare has been ruled out by Kerry County Council.
Using such lakes as water sources would involve the building of a large dam in a scenic area, which would be of concern to the tourism industry. However, council engineers have opted to abstract water from the River Sheen to improve the supply to Kenmare.
Senior water services engineer Ger MacNamara stressed the urgency of providing a sufficient supply to Kenmare and warned of a crisis if a solution was not found soon.
Mr MacNamara felt abstraction from the Sheen was the most efficient way of providing supplies.
But, Independent Councillor Danny Healy-Rae believed lakes high up in the mountains would be a better source and would not interfere with farmers.
“Getting water from the higher lakes would also minimise pollution and ensure clean water,” he added.
He said there was concern among farmers that their activities would be restricted and planning permissions curtailed.
In August, Mr Healy-Rae claimed, there could be supply shortages in Kenmare when water levels in the Sheen dropped.
Irish Examiner
Using such lakes as water sources would involve the building of a large dam in a scenic area, which would be of concern to the tourism industry. However, council engineers have opted to abstract water from the River Sheen to improve the supply to Kenmare.
Senior water services engineer Ger MacNamara stressed the urgency of providing a sufficient supply to Kenmare and warned of a crisis if a solution was not found soon.
Mr MacNamara felt abstraction from the Sheen was the most efficient way of providing supplies.
But, Independent Councillor Danny Healy-Rae believed lakes high up in the mountains would be a better source and would not interfere with farmers.
“Getting water from the higher lakes would also minimise pollution and ensure clean water,” he added.
He said there was concern among farmers that their activities would be restricted and planning permissions curtailed.
In August, Mr Healy-Rae claimed, there could be supply shortages in Kenmare when water levels in the Sheen dropped.
Irish Examiner
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Tara road campaigners call for new legal advice
ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley must seek independent legal advice on whether he can revoke an order allowing the destruction of a national monument on the route of the controversial M3 motorway, campaigners have claimed.
Yesterday it emerged that newly-appointed Attorney General, Paul Gallagher SC, acted for Meath Co Council last year and opposed a bid to stop construction.
His office has since advised that a decision by former Environment Minister Dick Roche to destroy a national monument cannot be overturned.
Mr Gallagher told the High Court in January last year there was "no basis" to alter the route of the motorway near the Hill of Tara unless a national monument was discovered. But last April a prehistoric ritual site was discovered at Lismullin and designated as a national monument.
An order has since been made to preserve it "by record" which would allow it to be destroyed to facilitate the motorway.
The Campaign to Save Tara said it was concerned that Mr Gallagher acted on behalf of Meath Co Council. "At the very least, the revelation that the AG has acted for Meath County Council so recently and in so closely-related a case means that the minister should be canvassing independent legal advice," said Dr Muireann Ni Bhrolchain.
The campaign also called for all documentation relating to archaeological excavations along the proposed route of the M3 to be reviewed, given that the national monument - the size of three football pitches - was missed by archaeologists.
The National Roads Authority said excavations of the site should be completed by late September, after which diggers would move in.
Ronan Swan, acting chief archaeologist with the NRA, said it received the minister's order last Friday and excavation work should begin in the next three weeks.
But 20pc of the henge will remain as it is on privately-owned land.
"We already have the site plan, which shows us what features are there and how deep they are," Mr Swan said. "It's not all on the M3 - four-fifths of the entire enclosure is in the road take, the rest is in private hands. It's not going to be excavated as part of the road scheme. This occurs frequently where you wouldn't excavate the entire site, and would be in accordance with government guidelines.
"The government policy is you don't excavate more than you need to. The rain and weather has interfered with the condition of the site."
Hundreds of people are expected to arrive at Tara to celebrate the summer solstice this weekend.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Yesterday it emerged that newly-appointed Attorney General, Paul Gallagher SC, acted for Meath Co Council last year and opposed a bid to stop construction.
His office has since advised that a decision by former Environment Minister Dick Roche to destroy a national monument cannot be overturned.
Mr Gallagher told the High Court in January last year there was "no basis" to alter the route of the motorway near the Hill of Tara unless a national monument was discovered. But last April a prehistoric ritual site was discovered at Lismullin and designated as a national monument.
An order has since been made to preserve it "by record" which would allow it to be destroyed to facilitate the motorway.
The Campaign to Save Tara said it was concerned that Mr Gallagher acted on behalf of Meath Co Council. "At the very least, the revelation that the AG has acted for Meath County Council so recently and in so closely-related a case means that the minister should be canvassing independent legal advice," said Dr Muireann Ni Bhrolchain.
The campaign also called for all documentation relating to archaeological excavations along the proposed route of the M3 to be reviewed, given that the national monument - the size of three football pitches - was missed by archaeologists.
The National Roads Authority said excavations of the site should be completed by late September, after which diggers would move in.
Ronan Swan, acting chief archaeologist with the NRA, said it received the minister's order last Friday and excavation work should begin in the next three weeks.
But 20pc of the henge will remain as it is on privately-owned land.
"We already have the site plan, which shows us what features are there and how deep they are," Mr Swan said. "It's not all on the M3 - four-fifths of the entire enclosure is in the road take, the rest is in private hands. It's not going to be excavated as part of the road scheme. This occurs frequently where you wouldn't excavate the entire site, and would be in accordance with government guidelines.
"The government policy is you don't excavate more than you need to. The rain and weather has interfered with the condition of the site."
Hundreds of people are expected to arrive at Tara to celebrate the summer solstice this weekend.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Final plans for €160m port facility on display
THE Port of Cork will unveil the final plans today for its massive €160 million container facility planned for Ringaskiddy.
Port officials said last night that they have addressed several concerns about traffic, noise and visual impact which were raised by the public during the first round of public consultations last December.
They and representatives from their consultants, RPS Consulting Engineers, will outline later today several mitigation measures they intend to take to deal with those issues.
A draft Environmental Impact Statement on the massive project at Oyster Bank — which includes the reclamation of almost 18 hectares of land — will also be on display.
The massive project is being dealt with by the State’s Strategic Infrastructure Bill designed to fast-track major infrastructural projects.
Port officials are due to meet with that body within the coming weeks to finalise their planning application, which could be lodged within two months.
A final decision could be made by the middle of next year, depending on the outcome of public hearings.
The proposed new facility will replace the port’s city-based Tivoli Docks container facility.
With a capacity for 180,000 units, it handled 155,000 container units and port traffic is still growing.
The new container terminal, together with a multi-purpose roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) berth, will be able to handle twice the volume of Tivoli.
Work is expected to be carried out in two phases — phase one will cater for 300,000 container units. Phase two will complete the facility allowing it to cater for 600,000 units.
The port also has plans to build a new €70m bulks facility at the nearby ADM jetty.
The plans for the port’s move downstream were first proposed in 2002, as part of the Port of Cork’s Strategic Development Plan.
Today’s public consultation sessions will take place at the Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal between 11am and 2pm and again between 5pm and 8pm.
Irish Examiner
Port officials said last night that they have addressed several concerns about traffic, noise and visual impact which were raised by the public during the first round of public consultations last December.
They and representatives from their consultants, RPS Consulting Engineers, will outline later today several mitigation measures they intend to take to deal with those issues.
A draft Environmental Impact Statement on the massive project at Oyster Bank — which includes the reclamation of almost 18 hectares of land — will also be on display.
The massive project is being dealt with by the State’s Strategic Infrastructure Bill designed to fast-track major infrastructural projects.
Port officials are due to meet with that body within the coming weeks to finalise their planning application, which could be lodged within two months.
A final decision could be made by the middle of next year, depending on the outcome of public hearings.
The proposed new facility will replace the port’s city-based Tivoli Docks container facility.
With a capacity for 180,000 units, it handled 155,000 container units and port traffic is still growing.
The new container terminal, together with a multi-purpose roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) berth, will be able to handle twice the volume of Tivoli.
Work is expected to be carried out in two phases — phase one will cater for 300,000 container units. Phase two will complete the facility allowing it to cater for 600,000 units.
The port also has plans to build a new €70m bulks facility at the nearby ADM jetty.
The plans for the port’s move downstream were first proposed in 2002, as part of the Port of Cork’s Strategic Development Plan.
Today’s public consultation sessions will take place at the Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal between 11am and 2pm and again between 5pm and 8pm.
Irish Examiner
Bishopstown 3-bed? How about €5m
RESIDENTS of a wealthy Cork suburb pleaded with city officials last night to save a cherished green space that has been put up for sale.
What’s being described as “probably the smallest house in Bishopstown with the biggest garden” was put up for sale by tender over the weekend.
However, the “garden” of number 1, Park Gate Villas on the Bishopstown Road, has been effectively used as a public park for almost four decades by the people of Bishopscourt. They have also paid for its maintenance.
But SWS Property Services confirmed yesterday that the green is included in the sale of the house, which stands at the corner of the prime 1.6 acre site. The green does not have any zoning designation.
SWS negotiator Martin Kelleher said there are certain rights of way over the area.
And while the new owners could apply for planning permission to develop the land, Mr Kelleher said his company was not pushing the sale as a development opportunity.
“The new owner will own the green, but that does not give them an entitlement to develop,” he said.
He declined to discuss the price tag because the sale is by tender but property sources suggested the site could, subject to zoning, be worth close to €5 million.
The 1,700-sq-ft three- bedroom, two-storey detached house is in good structural condition but is in need of refurbishment.
An advertising hoarding on its eastern gable could provide its new owner with several thousand euro in annual income. All tenders are due by August 3.
However, Bishopstown Community Association expressed serious concerns last night that the green could be lost as a public amenity.
“This green area is an integral part of the estate. It should be zoned as open green space,” a spokesperson said.
Fine Gael city councillor Jerry Buttimer has flagged the issue with the city manager and the council’s law and planning departments.
“Every effort must be made to retain this space, which has been a feature of the estate since it was built,” he said.
Irish Examiner
What’s being described as “probably the smallest house in Bishopstown with the biggest garden” was put up for sale by tender over the weekend.
However, the “garden” of number 1, Park Gate Villas on the Bishopstown Road, has been effectively used as a public park for almost four decades by the people of Bishopscourt. They have also paid for its maintenance.
But SWS Property Services confirmed yesterday that the green is included in the sale of the house, which stands at the corner of the prime 1.6 acre site. The green does not have any zoning designation.
SWS negotiator Martin Kelleher said there are certain rights of way over the area.
And while the new owners could apply for planning permission to develop the land, Mr Kelleher said his company was not pushing the sale as a development opportunity.
“The new owner will own the green, but that does not give them an entitlement to develop,” he said.
He declined to discuss the price tag because the sale is by tender but property sources suggested the site could, subject to zoning, be worth close to €5 million.
The 1,700-sq-ft three- bedroom, two-storey detached house is in good structural condition but is in need of refurbishment.
An advertising hoarding on its eastern gable could provide its new owner with several thousand euro in annual income. All tenders are due by August 3.
However, Bishopstown Community Association expressed serious concerns last night that the green could be lost as a public amenity.
“This green area is an integral part of the estate. It should be zoned as open green space,” a spokesperson said.
Fine Gael city councillor Jerry Buttimer has flagged the issue with the city manager and the council’s law and planning departments.
“Every effort must be made to retain this space, which has been a feature of the estate since it was built,” he said.
Irish Examiner
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Council accuses Travellers of undermining M1
FINGAL County Council has spent €82,000 repairing an earthen bank which supported part a public road at a point where it became a flyover over the M1 motorway after claims that Travellers had excavated part of the bank.
In a High Court action aimed at removing some 90 Travellers from the site, it was alleged some Travellers had excavated into the earthen bank and seriously undermined the stability of the road which could have resulted in a road collapse.
It was also claimed that palls of thick black smoke frequently billowed across the motorway because of the Travellers' illegal site at Thomondtown, Lusk, Co Dublin.
In a counterclaim, the defendant Travellers allege the council is in breach of its duty to provide them with accommodation.
John Gallagher SC, for the council, said Dublin fire brigade had been called to the 1.2 acre site about nine times since January last.
He said the burning of waste was creating a significant risk to health and safety. The site was also completley unsuitable for the more than 90 people living there with no toilets or sanitation and there were about eight mobile homes there since November 2005.
The action, which continues today before Mr Justice Michael Peart, has been brought against nine members of the Travelling community: Martin Gavin, Sam Gavin, Michael Reilly, Arthur Purcell, Robert Gavin, Terry Mongan, Patrick Gavin, Douglas Purcell and Paul Gavin.
In a statement of claim, the council alleges the defendants had intimidated, obstructed and assaulted council employees from entering on the lands and that officers of the fire brigade had refused to enter the lands because of the nature of materials being burned and because of fears for their safety.
John Rogers SC, for the Travellers, has lodged a counterclaim alleging the defendants were tenants of Dublin City Council on St Dominick's Park halting site for over 25 years and plans had been finalised to provide them with group housing on the site.
It is claimed that, in 2005, they were attacked by another Traveller family. They said they had fled to Belfast where they stayed for a few months but came back to Dublin and moved onto the site in question.
Ann O'Loughlin
Irish Independent
In a High Court action aimed at removing some 90 Travellers from the site, it was alleged some Travellers had excavated into the earthen bank and seriously undermined the stability of the road which could have resulted in a road collapse.
It was also claimed that palls of thick black smoke frequently billowed across the motorway because of the Travellers' illegal site at Thomondtown, Lusk, Co Dublin.
In a counterclaim, the defendant Travellers allege the council is in breach of its duty to provide them with accommodation.
John Gallagher SC, for the council, said Dublin fire brigade had been called to the 1.2 acre site about nine times since January last.
He said the burning of waste was creating a significant risk to health and safety. The site was also completley unsuitable for the more than 90 people living there with no toilets or sanitation and there were about eight mobile homes there since November 2005.
The action, which continues today before Mr Justice Michael Peart, has been brought against nine members of the Travelling community: Martin Gavin, Sam Gavin, Michael Reilly, Arthur Purcell, Robert Gavin, Terry Mongan, Patrick Gavin, Douglas Purcell and Paul Gavin.
In a statement of claim, the council alleges the defendants had intimidated, obstructed and assaulted council employees from entering on the lands and that officers of the fire brigade had refused to enter the lands because of the nature of materials being burned and because of fears for their safety.
John Rogers SC, for the Travellers, has lodged a counterclaim alleging the defendants were tenants of Dublin City Council on St Dominick's Park halting site for over 25 years and plans had been finalised to provide them with group housing on the site.
It is claimed that, in 2005, they were attacked by another Traveller family. They said they had fled to Belfast where they stayed for a few months but came back to Dublin and moved onto the site in question.
Ann O'Loughlin
Irish Independent
Council faces court hearing over water contamination
GALWAY City Council faces prosecution over its failure to halt the drinking water contamination crisis that has affected 100,000 people in the county.
It would be the first time ever that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought such a prosecution.
Seven other councils have been issued with orders by the agency to clean up their contaminated tap water or face the prospect of a court appearance. Water in the city and county has been contaminated by the deadly cryptosporidium bug since last March.
Hundreds of people have required hospital treatment after becoming ill from the parasite which got into the tap water supply from Lough Corrib water that had been extracted at the Terryland plant.
The possibility of a prosecution moved closer last night after the council failed to meet a June 15 deadline to close the contaminated Terryland water plant and switch over to an alternative supply.
An EPA spokesperson said last night that the council could now feasibly be prosecuted.
However, the situation was being reviewed by the environment agency.
"We are considering our enforcement options." the spokesperson added.
The council has been told it must report to the EPA on a weekly basis on the progress being made to clean up the tap water.
The EPA spokesperson said that seven other councils with water contamination problems had received similar directions from the agency.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
It would be the first time ever that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought such a prosecution.
Seven other councils have been issued with orders by the agency to clean up their contaminated tap water or face the prospect of a court appearance. Water in the city and county has been contaminated by the deadly cryptosporidium bug since last March.
Hundreds of people have required hospital treatment after becoming ill from the parasite which got into the tap water supply from Lough Corrib water that had been extracted at the Terryland plant.
The possibility of a prosecution moved closer last night after the council failed to meet a June 15 deadline to close the contaminated Terryland water plant and switch over to an alternative supply.
An EPA spokesperson said last night that the council could now feasibly be prosecuted.
However, the situation was being reviewed by the environment agency.
"We are considering our enforcement options." the spokesperson added.
The council has been told it must report to the EPA on a weekly basis on the progress being made to clean up the tap water.
The EPA spokesperson said that seven other councils with water contamination problems had received similar directions from the agency.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Green light for Mayo Power plant
THE €140million Combined Heat and Power 100 megawatt Mayo Power plant is to go ahead at the former Asahi site at Killala.
Permission has been granted by An Bord Pleanala for the continued use of the existing power generation unit on site to the west of the ESB substation which was granted for a period of five years.
Planning permission was also granted for the construction of an identical type of electricity generation unit to be located to the immediate north of the existing unit.
Each unit is 36.5 metres long and 16.7 metres wide, comprising of control unit, electricity plant and equipment with a stack rising 20 metres in height.
The plant will be a 100MW mixed fuel combined heat and power plant and will utilise available wood from North West forests to the maximum, providing a market for the thinnings from the newly developed private forests. It will also purchase peat and wood from local fast rotation crops. A small percentage of coal will be used to complete the fuel mix. This planned local purchase of feedstock alone is estimated to be worth •20 million per annum.
The planning application was originally lodged on July 21st, 2006 and in its decision on December 19th, Mayo County Council issued notification to grant planning permission for the plant at Tawnagh-more Lower, Tawnaghmore Upper and Mullafarry, Killala, subject to nine conditions.
This was subsequently appealed by Stephen Dowds, Planning Consultant on behalf of Mayo Power Limited.
Senior Planning Inspector Paul Caprani carried out his assessment and recommended that planning permission should be granted for the proposed development, but that this planning should be limited to a period of five years.
In accordance with the appellant, the inspector agreed that permission should be limited as energy production methods may need to be reviewed at a later date in order to facilitate more sustainable forms of renewable energy in terms of allowing access to the national grid.
The former Asahi site currently has access to a sub-station feeding the existing 110KV transmission line and will be designed to supply a flexible and despatchable load to what is currently considered one of the weakest locations on the National Grid.
Mayo Power Ltd Directors, including Myles Staunton and US-based investor Gerald C. Crotty, will be happy with the recent development. During the last bout of talks with the independent transmission operator, EirGrid, Myles Staunton emphasised the economic efficiency of the plant. “We have analysed the respective economics of a 100MW gas fired plant at the Asahi site versus the 100MW mixed fuel alternative as proposed by Mayo Power and before any indirect benefits are taken into account, such as employment and feedstock purchase, we estimate that our plant will deliver power at significantly lower costs than the corresponding price of gas for a similar sized installation at the Asahi site.”
Mayo Power’s project to establish a sustainable power plant to generate effective power and steam was unveiled last October and will see a total of 140 invested into the area. It is estimated that this will create over 250 direct and indirect jobs.
Anna-Marie Flynn
© Western People
Permission has been granted by An Bord Pleanala for the continued use of the existing power generation unit on site to the west of the ESB substation which was granted for a period of five years.
Planning permission was also granted for the construction of an identical type of electricity generation unit to be located to the immediate north of the existing unit.
Each unit is 36.5 metres long and 16.7 metres wide, comprising of control unit, electricity plant and equipment with a stack rising 20 metres in height.
The plant will be a 100MW mixed fuel combined heat and power plant and will utilise available wood from North West forests to the maximum, providing a market for the thinnings from the newly developed private forests. It will also purchase peat and wood from local fast rotation crops. A small percentage of coal will be used to complete the fuel mix. This planned local purchase of feedstock alone is estimated to be worth •20 million per annum.
The planning application was originally lodged on July 21st, 2006 and in its decision on December 19th, Mayo County Council issued notification to grant planning permission for the plant at Tawnagh-more Lower, Tawnaghmore Upper and Mullafarry, Killala, subject to nine conditions.
This was subsequently appealed by Stephen Dowds, Planning Consultant on behalf of Mayo Power Limited.
Senior Planning Inspector Paul Caprani carried out his assessment and recommended that planning permission should be granted for the proposed development, but that this planning should be limited to a period of five years.
In accordance with the appellant, the inspector agreed that permission should be limited as energy production methods may need to be reviewed at a later date in order to facilitate more sustainable forms of renewable energy in terms of allowing access to the national grid.
The former Asahi site currently has access to a sub-station feeding the existing 110KV transmission line and will be designed to supply a flexible and despatchable load to what is currently considered one of the weakest locations on the National Grid.
Mayo Power Ltd Directors, including Myles Staunton and US-based investor Gerald C. Crotty, will be happy with the recent development. During the last bout of talks with the independent transmission operator, EirGrid, Myles Staunton emphasised the economic efficiency of the plant. “We have analysed the respective economics of a 100MW gas fired plant at the Asahi site versus the 100MW mixed fuel alternative as proposed by Mayo Power and before any indirect benefits are taken into account, such as employment and feedstock purchase, we estimate that our plant will deliver power at significantly lower costs than the corresponding price of gas for a similar sized installation at the Asahi site.”
Mayo Power’s project to establish a sustainable power plant to generate effective power and steam was unveiled last October and will see a total of 140 invested into the area. It is estimated that this will create over 250 direct and indirect jobs.
Anna-Marie Flynn
© Western People
Valley to remain Black spot for phones
HOPES for a mobile phone service in the Black Valley have been dashed after the planning appeals board refused permission for two masts, insisting the beauty of the landscape outweighs the need for a mobile phone service.
Phone company O2 had sought permission to erect the masts at Moll’s Gap and at Looscaunagh Lough. At a special meeting of Kerry County Council last October, councillors voted over-whelmingly to make a special case for the Black Valley and push through permission, despite the fact that the applications contravened the county development plan.
The decision was immediately appealed to An Bord Plean•la by heritage body An Taisce which argued that the masts were to be located in sensitive and scenic locations and that other solutions to the valley’s communication problems had not been considered.
An Bord Plean•la agreed with the appeal and over-turned the council’s decision.
O2 said that the 27-metre mast on Looscaunagh Hill would give coverage to 60 per cent of the Black Valley. Both masts were needed because the phone signals gathered at Looscanaugh would be routed into the national network through the second seven-metre mast at Moll’s Gap.
A planning inspector for An Bord Plean•la said the Looscaunagh location was an area of uniquely beautiful countryside, enjoying the utmost protections from development and that its protection outweighs the need for better mobile phone coverage.
"In this instance the quality and uniqueness of the landscape, based on its open natural and timeless appearance, its prime amenity and conservation designations and it significance to the tourism industry, not only in Kerry but to all Ireland, outweighs the necessity for better mobile phone coverage," the inspector stated.
She added that it would require the erection of an unsightly mast in a very prominent location thereby destroying the very qualities of the landscape that make it a national treasure.
Noel Kissane, who is a spokesman for the Black Valley residents and the landowner in relation to the Moll’s Gap application, said that local telephone reception is very poor and that residents have to drive many miles to get reception.
He said the area is very remote and if there are accidents, people must walk to get help. He said the coverage would also be helpful to the mountain rescue and tour coach operators.
Residents say main telecom line in the Black Valley is over 25 years old and inadequate for every day communication purposes.
However the planning inspector insisted that the lack of communications was not severe enough to warrant the granting of planning permission.
"I do not consider the other communications problems raised compelling. People have accepted elsewhere, for instance in National Parks throughout the EU, that it is not always possible to have full mobile coverage in scenically sensitive areas.
"Rescue services operate without mobiles, people who go hill walking must accept that there is an element of risk; it is part of the reason people go hill walking. The Ring of Kerry is a busy tourist route if there is a breakdown or accident someone will be along short-ly," she said.
Alan Healy
© The Kingdom
Phone company O2 had sought permission to erect the masts at Moll’s Gap and at Looscaunagh Lough. At a special meeting of Kerry County Council last October, councillors voted over-whelmingly to make a special case for the Black Valley and push through permission, despite the fact that the applications contravened the county development plan.
The decision was immediately appealed to An Bord Plean•la by heritage body An Taisce which argued that the masts were to be located in sensitive and scenic locations and that other solutions to the valley’s communication problems had not been considered.
An Bord Plean•la agreed with the appeal and over-turned the council’s decision.
O2 said that the 27-metre mast on Looscaunagh Hill would give coverage to 60 per cent of the Black Valley. Both masts were needed because the phone signals gathered at Looscanaugh would be routed into the national network through the second seven-metre mast at Moll’s Gap.
A planning inspector for An Bord Plean•la said the Looscaunagh location was an area of uniquely beautiful countryside, enjoying the utmost protections from development and that its protection outweighs the need for better mobile phone coverage.
"In this instance the quality and uniqueness of the landscape, based on its open natural and timeless appearance, its prime amenity and conservation designations and it significance to the tourism industry, not only in Kerry but to all Ireland, outweighs the necessity for better mobile phone coverage," the inspector stated.
She added that it would require the erection of an unsightly mast in a very prominent location thereby destroying the very qualities of the landscape that make it a national treasure.
Noel Kissane, who is a spokesman for the Black Valley residents and the landowner in relation to the Moll’s Gap application, said that local telephone reception is very poor and that residents have to drive many miles to get reception.
He said the area is very remote and if there are accidents, people must walk to get help. He said the coverage would also be helpful to the mountain rescue and tour coach operators.
Residents say main telecom line in the Black Valley is over 25 years old and inadequate for every day communication purposes.
However the planning inspector insisted that the lack of communications was not severe enough to warrant the granting of planning permission.
"I do not consider the other communications problems raised compelling. People have accepted elsewhere, for instance in National Parks throughout the EU, that it is not always possible to have full mobile coverage in scenically sensitive areas.
"Rescue services operate without mobiles, people who go hill walking must accept that there is an element of risk; it is part of the reason people go hill walking. The Ring of Kerry is a busy tourist route if there is a breakdown or accident someone will be along short-ly," she said.
Alan Healy
© The Kingdom
Setback for decentralisation plan to Knock
Plans to decentralise the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to Knock, Co Mayo, have received a setback with the refusal of planning permission for a new headquarters building.
The move of 140 staff, planned as far back as 2003, was to have been completed later this year. Some 37 staff from the department moved to temporary accommodation at Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, last July.
At the end of last year, it was projected 64 staff would be in place in Tubbercurry, covering six sections of the department.
Despite missed deadlines for the planned new headquarters, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív announced last July work would commence on the new offices in the first quarter of 2007.
"It is estimated that the headquarters will transfer there from mid-2008. Once the new offices are ready, the staff in Tubbercurry will relocate, giving a total of 140 in the new location," he said.
The building was to have comprised two three-storey wings of offices linked by a glazed atrium stepping up the hillside site.
However, planning permission was appealed by Peter Sweetman and Associates of Rathmines, Dublin and, in its ruling yesterday, An Bord Pleanála rejected the application.
The board said that, notwithstanding the proximity of the building to Ireland West International Airport, Knock, the headquarters would have been in a "rural area which is remote from the town of Charlestown or any other settlement, remote from the normal range of services and facilities associated with office accommodation and remote from public transport infrastructure".
It was considered the proposed location of a standalone office building unrelated to the operation of the airport would give rise to unsustainable forms of commuting and would be contrary to the current Mayo Development Plan.
The board also found that, by virtue of the proximity of the runway at Ireland West, the building would have represented a poor working environment for staff.
The board's decision was welcomed by An Taisce, which called for a complete review of the decentralisation programme.
"Decentralised offices should be situated in the gateways and hubs in locations which have good access to public transport, and do not worsen car-based sprawl," it said in a statement.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
The move of 140 staff, planned as far back as 2003, was to have been completed later this year. Some 37 staff from the department moved to temporary accommodation at Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, last July.
At the end of last year, it was projected 64 staff would be in place in Tubbercurry, covering six sections of the department.
Despite missed deadlines for the planned new headquarters, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív announced last July work would commence on the new offices in the first quarter of 2007.
"It is estimated that the headquarters will transfer there from mid-2008. Once the new offices are ready, the staff in Tubbercurry will relocate, giving a total of 140 in the new location," he said.
The building was to have comprised two three-storey wings of offices linked by a glazed atrium stepping up the hillside site.
However, planning permission was appealed by Peter Sweetman and Associates of Rathmines, Dublin and, in its ruling yesterday, An Bord Pleanála rejected the application.
The board said that, notwithstanding the proximity of the building to Ireland West International Airport, Knock, the headquarters would have been in a "rural area which is remote from the town of Charlestown or any other settlement, remote from the normal range of services and facilities associated with office accommodation and remote from public transport infrastructure".
It was considered the proposed location of a standalone office building unrelated to the operation of the airport would give rise to unsustainable forms of commuting and would be contrary to the current Mayo Development Plan.
The board also found that, by virtue of the proximity of the runway at Ireland West, the building would have represented a poor working environment for staff.
The board's decision was welcomed by An Taisce, which called for a complete review of the decentralisation programme.
"Decentralised offices should be situated in the gateways and hubs in locations which have good access to public transport, and do not worsen car-based sprawl," it said in a statement.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
Ryan calls for debate on turning to nuclear power
The new Green Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, has added his voice to calls for a debate on nuclear power for Ireland.
Mr Ryan said the crises caused by climate change and the impending decline in world oil supplies meant that "we have to look at everything" in terms of energy supplies. "I've no objection to a debate. I was encouraging one for the last number of years because we do need to be well informed," Mr Ryan said on RTÉ's Drivetime programme.
Nuclear power could "do something" by helping to generate electricity, but it could not provide a solution to existing power needs in transport and heating, he said.
A rational examination of nuclear power would show that it could not provide an easy or cheap solution to Ireland's future energy needs. It would show that an emphasis on renewable energy and energy conservation would provide a better solution.
Mr Ryan said the Government's stated aim of generating 33 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 was "the base of our ambitions". But getting off our 90 per cent dependence on imported fossil fuels would not be easy.
"We need to start weaning ourselves off this dependence by delivering policies which deliver changes in our everyday lives."
Last week, Amicus, the union representing engineers and other professionals working for the ESB, called for nuclear power to be considered in the debate on Ireland's future energy policies.
Paul Cullen
© 2007 The Irish Times
Mr Ryan said the crises caused by climate change and the impending decline in world oil supplies meant that "we have to look at everything" in terms of energy supplies. "I've no objection to a debate. I was encouraging one for the last number of years because we do need to be well informed," Mr Ryan said on RTÉ's Drivetime programme.
Nuclear power could "do something" by helping to generate electricity, but it could not provide a solution to existing power needs in transport and heating, he said.
A rational examination of nuclear power would show that it could not provide an easy or cheap solution to Ireland's future energy needs. It would show that an emphasis on renewable energy and energy conservation would provide a better solution.
Mr Ryan said the Government's stated aim of generating 33 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 was "the base of our ambitions". But getting off our 90 per cent dependence on imported fossil fuels would not be easy.
"We need to start weaning ourselves off this dependence by delivering policies which deliver changes in our everyday lives."
Last week, Amicus, the union representing engineers and other professionals working for the ESB, called for nuclear power to be considered in the debate on Ireland's future energy policies.
Paul Cullen
© 2007 The Irish Times
Gormley has discretion to call a halt to M3
It is still possible for John Gormley to do something about the M3 and Tara, argues Michael Smith, who says independent assessment is the first step
The Hill of Tara has been sacred for 5,000 years. It was already 2,000 years old at the time of the siege of Troy. It was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland - 142 kings are said to have reigned there. In ancient Irish religion and mythology Tara was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld.
In the recent negotiation of a programme for government the Greens could not get a commitment to run the M3 motorway away from Tara to safeguard its integrity. But there are still ways the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, could achieve this result.
For the Greens the fact is that although they may not have negotiated a very green programme for government, much can be achieved through the daily exercise of their offices - particularly that of Minister for the Environment. Historically in Ireland, economic and even social aspirations have been phrased mandatorily - "the Minister shall . . .", whereas environmental objectives have been framed as discretions - "may".
In the past most of the mays were treated by ministers for the environment as opportunities for a may not. While legislation looked pro-environment, it was not exercised in a pro-environment way. The most important engine for this Government's green agenda will be having Ministers in the right place to exercise those discretions in a green way.
Dick Roche, Fianna Fáil's recently-departed minister for the environment, chose not to designate national monuments along the M3 route near Tara, but many archaeologists - outside of the NRA at least - felt he could and should have. In the end he designated only one feature, the 80m-diameter henge structure at Lismullin, as a national monument. But even in that case he availed of the possibility allowed by the insidious 2004 National Monuments (Amendment) Act, which was the reaction to a previous debacle at Carrickmines, to issue directions to allow it to be recorded and then destroyed.
It appears the minister was strengthened in his willingness to do this by indications that much of Lismullin had been destroyed and was vulnerable to the elements, and also that there would not be much advantage to retaining it since most of the rest of the archaeological landscape has been destroyed following excavation.
Gormley apparently believed he could not overturn Roche's directions. But this seems to be wrong on first principles.
The Attorney General's office offered verbal advice to this effect but it may be difficult for the Attorney General himself to offer advice as, professionally as a senior counsel, he represented Meath County Council in the Vincent Salafia case, which called for designations of national monuments along the route of the M3. There may be an appearance of a conflict of interest. Gormley should therefore seek independent advice.
However, it now appears that it is legally possible to designate other sites - such as Collierstown, Baronstown, Roestown along the Tara-Skryne Valley - as national monuments. Where Roche failed to designate, Gormley can. He should follow up independent legal advice with independent archaeological advice.
It is likely that other national monuments along the route will also emerge as it appears Lismullin itself escaped detection under the initial geophysical survey and was only recognised by chance.
As regards Lismullin, designated a national monument but prey to directions allowing destruction, what Roche directed Gormley can simply undirect or redirect.
The route is a blank canvass awaiting proper independent assessment of the appropriateness of national monument designations.
With the Tara-Skryne Valley packed with newly-designated national monuments and no ministerial directions allowing for their destruction, it would clearly be impossible to drive the M3 project through.
Tara may be just the first of a series of issues where Gormley can promote environmental protection without reverting to the Cabinet. The Minister has control over environment, heritage and local government. Many of his powers do not require Cabinet approval. For instance, many of the powers relating to protection of national and built heritage give the Minister wide discretion.
As regards urban and rural planning, much of the national spatial strategy depends on the Minister intervening where local authorities flout it - as they typically do, for example, in facilitating sprawl in the hinterland of Dublin.
If we are to reconfigure the country away from Dublin and its hinterland to other cities and towns, progressive exercise of those discretions will be a major step.
For those of us who spent years battling against the system for the protection of the environment and heritage and for the promotion of good planning, Lismullin in Tara could be a bridgehead to a bright new green world.
Michael Smith is a former chairman of An Taisce. This commentary was written in a personal capacity
© 2007 The Irish Times
The Hill of Tara has been sacred for 5,000 years. It was already 2,000 years old at the time of the siege of Troy. It was once the ancient seat of power in Ireland - 142 kings are said to have reigned there. In ancient Irish religion and mythology Tara was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld.
In the recent negotiation of a programme for government the Greens could not get a commitment to run the M3 motorway away from Tara to safeguard its integrity. But there are still ways the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, could achieve this result.
For the Greens the fact is that although they may not have negotiated a very green programme for government, much can be achieved through the daily exercise of their offices - particularly that of Minister for the Environment. Historically in Ireland, economic and even social aspirations have been phrased mandatorily - "the Minister shall . . .", whereas environmental objectives have been framed as discretions - "may".
In the past most of the mays were treated by ministers for the environment as opportunities for a may not. While legislation looked pro-environment, it was not exercised in a pro-environment way. The most important engine for this Government's green agenda will be having Ministers in the right place to exercise those discretions in a green way.
Dick Roche, Fianna Fáil's recently-departed minister for the environment, chose not to designate national monuments along the M3 route near Tara, but many archaeologists - outside of the NRA at least - felt he could and should have. In the end he designated only one feature, the 80m-diameter henge structure at Lismullin, as a national monument. But even in that case he availed of the possibility allowed by the insidious 2004 National Monuments (Amendment) Act, which was the reaction to a previous debacle at Carrickmines, to issue directions to allow it to be recorded and then destroyed.
It appears the minister was strengthened in his willingness to do this by indications that much of Lismullin had been destroyed and was vulnerable to the elements, and also that there would not be much advantage to retaining it since most of the rest of the archaeological landscape has been destroyed following excavation.
Gormley apparently believed he could not overturn Roche's directions. But this seems to be wrong on first principles.
The Attorney General's office offered verbal advice to this effect but it may be difficult for the Attorney General himself to offer advice as, professionally as a senior counsel, he represented Meath County Council in the Vincent Salafia case, which called for designations of national monuments along the route of the M3. There may be an appearance of a conflict of interest. Gormley should therefore seek independent advice.
However, it now appears that it is legally possible to designate other sites - such as Collierstown, Baronstown, Roestown along the Tara-Skryne Valley - as national monuments. Where Roche failed to designate, Gormley can. He should follow up independent legal advice with independent archaeological advice.
It is likely that other national monuments along the route will also emerge as it appears Lismullin itself escaped detection under the initial geophysical survey and was only recognised by chance.
As regards Lismullin, designated a national monument but prey to directions allowing destruction, what Roche directed Gormley can simply undirect or redirect.
The route is a blank canvass awaiting proper independent assessment of the appropriateness of national monument designations.
With the Tara-Skryne Valley packed with newly-designated national monuments and no ministerial directions allowing for their destruction, it would clearly be impossible to drive the M3 project through.
Tara may be just the first of a series of issues where Gormley can promote environmental protection without reverting to the Cabinet. The Minister has control over environment, heritage and local government. Many of his powers do not require Cabinet approval. For instance, many of the powers relating to protection of national and built heritage give the Minister wide discretion.
As regards urban and rural planning, much of the national spatial strategy depends on the Minister intervening where local authorities flout it - as they typically do, for example, in facilitating sprawl in the hinterland of Dublin.
If we are to reconfigure the country away from Dublin and its hinterland to other cities and towns, progressive exercise of those discretions will be a major step.
For those of us who spent years battling against the system for the protection of the environment and heritage and for the promotion of good planning, Lismullin in Tara could be a bridgehead to a bright new green world.
Michael Smith is a former chairman of An Taisce. This commentary was written in a personal capacity
© 2007 The Irish Times
EU to give ruling on planning guidelines
A European Union ruling on the legitimacy of planning guidelines in 22 counties which favour people connected to the locality is imminent.
The EU has completed an investigation of county development plans on foot of a complaint against Wicklow County Council from a man from outside the county who wanted to purchase a plot of land there.
Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, the director of the EU's office in Ireland, Martin Territt, confirmed that an EU citizen had complained about the restrictions in Wicklow.
"We've had a look now over the past couple of months at these type of restrictions and they're not just confined to Co Wicklow, we find them in about 22 of the 26 county development plans and clearly we feel that there's an issue here.
"It will be considered by representatives of the commissioners this week and will go to the College of Commissioners next week on June 27th."
He said that if the commission decided to issue a letter of formal notice on the planning guidelines, the Government would then have two months to respond.
Issues such as freedom of capital movement and the right of establishment would have to be considered, he said, issues that were "at the very core of membership of the European Union".
"The European Court has held these freedoms dear to its heart," Mr Territt added.
However, he said it was "too early to be black and white about what the future might hold" and that the outcome of proceedings would have to be awaited.
The restrictions have also been used to limit the number of new homes which end up as holiday homes and remain vacant for most of the year.
A spokesman for Minister for the Environment John Gormley said yesterday that although the department was aware of the situation with regard to the complaint against Ireland, it was not planned to do anything about it at this time.
The department would await the notice which would issue from the commission before deciding what, if any, action to take.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
The EU has completed an investigation of county development plans on foot of a complaint against Wicklow County Council from a man from outside the county who wanted to purchase a plot of land there.
Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, the director of the EU's office in Ireland, Martin Territt, confirmed that an EU citizen had complained about the restrictions in Wicklow.
"We've had a look now over the past couple of months at these type of restrictions and they're not just confined to Co Wicklow, we find them in about 22 of the 26 county development plans and clearly we feel that there's an issue here.
"It will be considered by representatives of the commissioners this week and will go to the College of Commissioners next week on June 27th."
He said that if the commission decided to issue a letter of formal notice on the planning guidelines, the Government would then have two months to respond.
Issues such as freedom of capital movement and the right of establishment would have to be considered, he said, issues that were "at the very core of membership of the European Union".
"The European Court has held these freedoms dear to its heart," Mr Territt added.
However, he said it was "too early to be black and white about what the future might hold" and that the outcome of proceedings would have to be awaited.
The restrictions have also been used to limit the number of new homes which end up as holiday homes and remain vacant for most of the year.
A spokesman for Minister for the Environment John Gormley said yesterday that although the department was aware of the situation with regard to the complaint against Ireland, it was not planned to do anything about it at this time.
The department would await the notice which would issue from the commission before deciding what, if any, action to take.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Times
Move to halt stadium work
TWO residents will apply to the High Court next month for a stay halting works on the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road stadium.
The application by Kevin McMahon and Mariaelena Byrne, of O'Connell Gardens, Sandymount, Dublin, will be heard on July 12.
They want the stay pending the outcome of their application for leave to bring a legal challenge to the development. The hearing will be in October but Mr Justice Peter Kelly adjourned to July 12 a decision on whether it should be heard either at the same time as, or immediately after, a separate leave application by two other residents, Brian O'Keeffe and Rosemarie Loftus, both of Lansdowne Road, Dublin.
The judge fixed October 4 for the hearing of the leave application by Mr O'Keeffe and Ms Loftus.
Irish Independent
The application by Kevin McMahon and Mariaelena Byrne, of O'Connell Gardens, Sandymount, Dublin, will be heard on July 12.
They want the stay pending the outcome of their application for leave to bring a legal challenge to the development. The hearing will be in October but Mr Justice Peter Kelly adjourned to July 12 a decision on whether it should be heard either at the same time as, or immediately after, a separate leave application by two other residents, Brian O'Keeffe and Rosemarie Loftus, both of Lansdowne Road, Dublin.
The judge fixed October 4 for the hearing of the leave application by Mr O'Keeffe and Ms Loftus.
Irish Independent
Plan to move Guinness brewery 'mere speculation'
DIAGEO, the firm which produces Guinness, has not ruled out moving its Irish operation from St James's Gate, the site where the black stuff has been brewed for almost 250 years.
The firm said it has begun an assessment of its brewing operations in Ireland and that "nothing has been ruled out". Media reports that Diageo Plc had plans to move production to a greenfield site on the outskirts of the capital were described as "pure speculation" by a spokeswoman.
"The Diageo brewing business is considering a number of important investment decisions on upgrading and renewing its brewing facilities in Ireland in the coming years," the firm said in a statement.
The review is set to take up to eight months. Lease
The site, where Arthur Guinness took out a 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery in 1759, has grown into what the brewer describes as "a prime 64-acre slice of Dublin". Media reports suggested the land could fetch up to €3bn.
Sales of Guinness, which gets its trademark dark colour from roasted barley, fell about 7pc in Europe in the final six months of last year. However, global sales are up about 3pc, the spokeswoman said.
Diageo operations in Dundalk and Kilkenny are included in the review.
GRAINNE CUNNINGHAM
Irish Independent
The firm said it has begun an assessment of its brewing operations in Ireland and that "nothing has been ruled out". Media reports that Diageo Plc had plans to move production to a greenfield site on the outskirts of the capital were described as "pure speculation" by a spokeswoman.
"The Diageo brewing business is considering a number of important investment decisions on upgrading and renewing its brewing facilities in Ireland in the coming years," the firm said in a statement.
The review is set to take up to eight months. Lease
The site, where Arthur Guinness took out a 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery in 1759, has grown into what the brewer describes as "a prime 64-acre slice of Dublin". Media reports suggested the land could fetch up to €3bn.
Sales of Guinness, which gets its trademark dark colour from roasted barley, fell about 7pc in Europe in the final six months of last year. However, global sales are up about 3pc, the spokeswoman said.
Diageo operations in Dundalk and Kilkenny are included in the review.
GRAINNE CUNNINGHAM
Irish Independent
DAA urges T2 planning decision
DUBLIN Airport Authority (DAA) has warned it could miss its target of having a new terminal built by the summer of 2009 if it does not get final planning permission by the end of the month.
Fingal County Council approved the €1.2 billion expansion of the airport in October last year but an appeal to An Bord Pleanála by Ryanair and local residents has held up the beginning of construction.
An oral hearing by the board concluded several weeks ago and the DAA said yesterday that T2, as the new terminal has been called, needed the go-ahead as soon as possible.
DAA chairman Gary McGann said yesterday: “We must hope, given An Bord Pleanála’s many commitments, it is in a position to prioritise its deliberations on T2 — given Dublin Airport’s strategic importance for millions of passengers and the overall economy.”
There was, however, more certainty about the financing of the DAA’s expansion plans over the next few years. The DAA said it has been in discussions with the Commission for Aviation Regulation and was now confident that it would be able to recoup 95% of the cost of the expansion through higher passenger charges once T2 is finished.
The regulator is due to make a final determination on airport charges nest week.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said the company would have to borrow €1.2bn to fund the expansion plans, which also includes a new runway and an extension to the existing terminal building.
The DAA yesterday released its annual report for 2006 showing pre-tax profits, including exceptional items, of €203 million, up from €63.9m.
Turnover at the DAA rose 12.5% last year to €591m. Excluding the Great Southern Hotel chain, which was sold off, turnover form continuing operations was 15% higher at €555.2m.
Around half of the company’s turnover was derived form its commercial activities, such as car parks and duty free shops, a rise of €22.5m on 2006, while revenues from aeronautical charges rose by €34.6m reflecting an increase in people using Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
Passenger numbers hit a record in 2006, particularly at Dublin where growth was faster than at any of Europe’s 35 largest airports.
Irish Examiner
Fingal County Council approved the €1.2 billion expansion of the airport in October last year but an appeal to An Bord Pleanála by Ryanair and local residents has held up the beginning of construction.
An oral hearing by the board concluded several weeks ago and the DAA said yesterday that T2, as the new terminal has been called, needed the go-ahead as soon as possible.
DAA chairman Gary McGann said yesterday: “We must hope, given An Bord Pleanála’s many commitments, it is in a position to prioritise its deliberations on T2 — given Dublin Airport’s strategic importance for millions of passengers and the overall economy.”
There was, however, more certainty about the financing of the DAA’s expansion plans over the next few years. The DAA said it has been in discussions with the Commission for Aviation Regulation and was now confident that it would be able to recoup 95% of the cost of the expansion through higher passenger charges once T2 is finished.
The regulator is due to make a final determination on airport charges nest week.
DAA chief executive Declan Collier said the company would have to borrow €1.2bn to fund the expansion plans, which also includes a new runway and an extension to the existing terminal building.
The DAA yesterday released its annual report for 2006 showing pre-tax profits, including exceptional items, of €203 million, up from €63.9m.
Turnover at the DAA rose 12.5% last year to €591m. Excluding the Great Southern Hotel chain, which was sold off, turnover form continuing operations was 15% higher at €555.2m.
Around half of the company’s turnover was derived form its commercial activities, such as car parks and duty free shops, a rise of €22.5m on 2006, while revenues from aeronautical charges rose by €34.6m reflecting an increase in people using Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
Passenger numbers hit a record in 2006, particularly at Dublin where growth was faster than at any of Europe’s 35 largest airports.
Irish Examiner
Monday, 18 June 2007
An Bord Pleanála defer verdict on Tesco petrol station appeal
An Bord Pleanála has deferred its verdict on an appeal to Tesco's bid to build a petrol station beside their Arklow supermarket.
The planning regulator was due to decide on an appeal to Tesco's plans, but have delayed their decision until July 24.
Arklow Town Council approved the company's plans for the petrol station, but an objection was lodged with the Bord in December.
At the time, Tesco chiefs said the objection had come from rival fuel-seller Petrogas (who own the Applegreen station and lease the Discount Fuels station, both near the intended Tesco Wexford Road site).
Tesco Ireland Development Support Manager Michael Sullivan said he believed the Bord Pleanala objection was more about restricting a possible competitor than concern for planning and urban development in Arklow.
At the end of the day this seems to be a strange situation where we have two Petrogas stations on one road very close to Tesco, but the objection comes from Petrogas in Gorey.'
The Bord Pleanála objection is in the name of Adrian Giffney, a Rathnew resident, who is the franchisee of the Discount Fuels station in Gorey. (Petrogas is the leaseholder.)
But both Mr Giffney and Petrogas director Michael O'Loughlin said in February that Petrogas had nothing to do with the objection.
Mr Giffney's appeal is based on the grounds that the Tesco station underutilises prime town centre space and is contrary to Arklow's Development Plan.
The proposed development is contrary to strategic planning principles because it will result in the waste of over an acre of land for a petrol filling station that is commercially driven and anti-competitive through the use of discount fuel vouchers,' the appeal documents state.
The appeal also claims the development is located on lands not zoned for that purpose and could create traffic chaos on the Wexford Road.
Our own experience of Tesco's petrol filling station is the traffic havoc that regularly occurs at their Dundrum and Clarehall stations where motorists queue from the public road network to the station forecourt.'
Wicklow People
The planning regulator was due to decide on an appeal to Tesco's plans, but have delayed their decision until July 24.
Arklow Town Council approved the company's plans for the petrol station, but an objection was lodged with the Bord in December.
At the time, Tesco chiefs said the objection had come from rival fuel-seller Petrogas (who own the Applegreen station and lease the Discount Fuels station, both near the intended Tesco Wexford Road site).
Tesco Ireland Development Support Manager Michael Sullivan said he believed the Bord Pleanala objection was more about restricting a possible competitor than concern for planning and urban development in Arklow.
At the end of the day this seems to be a strange situation where we have two Petrogas stations on one road very close to Tesco, but the objection comes from Petrogas in Gorey.'
The Bord Pleanála objection is in the name of Adrian Giffney, a Rathnew resident, who is the franchisee of the Discount Fuels station in Gorey. (Petrogas is the leaseholder.)
But both Mr Giffney and Petrogas director Michael O'Loughlin said in February that Petrogas had nothing to do with the objection.
Mr Giffney's appeal is based on the grounds that the Tesco station underutilises prime town centre space and is contrary to Arklow's Development Plan.
The proposed development is contrary to strategic planning principles because it will result in the waste of over an acre of land for a petrol filling station that is commercially driven and anti-competitive through the use of discount fuel vouchers,' the appeal documents state.
The appeal also claims the development is located on lands not zoned for that purpose and could create traffic chaos on the Wexford Road.
Our own experience of Tesco's petrol filling station is the traffic havoc that regularly occurs at their Dundrum and Clarehall stations where motorists queue from the public road network to the station forecourt.'
Wicklow People
Councillors inspect Brides Head GAA development
The lovely weather offered Wicklow Town Councillors the perfect excuse for a leisurely stroll up to Brides Head to see what was planned for the new GAA development.
The current plans are at a particularly early stage, though moves have already been made to appoint an architect. The development could include a number of pitches, a running track, changing rooms and a club house.
Discussions between St. Patrick's GAA Club and the town council are understood to be going well. However, the location of the planned development so far from the town centre is sure to cause some concerns. A number of council members looking over the site for themselves on Monday evening made similar comments, while others noted that strong winds gusting in off the coast could also prove problematic, particularly during the colder winter months.
Hopping over a rickety old farm fence didn't prove too troublesome for the elected members, even the less agile amongst them, but rumours that a rather large bull may be roaming the fields untethered certainly seemed to put the wind up one or two people.
The site in question is between 40 and 50 acres in size.
As well as catering for the local GAA club, it is hoped that the running track can be used by Inbhear Dee Athletics Club.
Wicklow People
The current plans are at a particularly early stage, though moves have already been made to appoint an architect. The development could include a number of pitches, a running track, changing rooms and a club house.
Discussions between St. Patrick's GAA Club and the town council are understood to be going well. However, the location of the planned development so far from the town centre is sure to cause some concerns. A number of council members looking over the site for themselves on Monday evening made similar comments, while others noted that strong winds gusting in off the coast could also prove problematic, particularly during the colder winter months.
Hopping over a rickety old farm fence didn't prove too troublesome for the elected members, even the less agile amongst them, but rumours that a rather large bull may be roaming the fields untethered certainly seemed to put the wind up one or two people.
The site in question is between 40 and 50 acres in size.
As well as catering for the local GAA club, it is hoped that the running track can be used by Inbhear Dee Athletics Club.
Wicklow People
Planning sought for Carnew Church land, County Wicklow
The Celtic Tiger is well and truly alive in rural Carnew, with the local Church of Ireland select vestry hoping to cash in on the property boom by developing four apartments on church land.
While the traditional image of select vestries is of organising fetes and coffee mornings, the group at the All Saints Church in Carnew are currently seeking planning permission for a four-apartment development in Lower Main Street, Carnew, on the site of the old parish hall.
An application for an eight-unit development from the same group last year was refused by the Wicklow County Council.
Select vestry member Harold Young said the main aim of the project was to raise funds for the church.
It is a very good way of raising finance,' he said.
Mr Young said the church had redesigned the development to meet the council's concerns over last year's larger proposal.
It's still a very early stage,' he said, and it can be very hard to get planning (permission).'
Wicklow People
While the traditional image of select vestries is of organising fetes and coffee mornings, the group at the All Saints Church in Carnew are currently seeking planning permission for a four-apartment development in Lower Main Street, Carnew, on the site of the old parish hall.
An application for an eight-unit development from the same group last year was refused by the Wicklow County Council.
Select vestry member Harold Young said the main aim of the project was to raise funds for the church.
It is a very good way of raising finance,' he said.
Mr Young said the church had redesigned the development to meet the council's concerns over last year's larger proposal.
It's still a very early stage,' he said, and it can be very hard to get planning (permission).'
Wicklow People
Traveller families eye squatter claims
UP to 20 Traveller families are trying to claim squatter's rights to Dunsink Lane in West Dublin after a squatter was paid more than €1m to move off the public land.
Traveller David Joyce received a record payout of €1.1m from Fingal County Council to move off the land where he has squatted for the past 20 years, it was revealed last week. Now other Travellers who have squatted on the land for more than 20 years have initiated legal action against the council claiming their entitlements due to "adverse possession" of the land previously bought by the council under a compulsory purchase order.
A council spokesman last week confirmed that the Joyce case has opened up the floodgates for similar claims. "While the examination of the these claims has not been completed, there does appear to be significant duplication of claims," he said.
The council has tried to encourage Travellers to leave the area by offering them alternative housing as well as land and other forms of compensation.
Allison Bray
Irish Independent
Traveller David Joyce received a record payout of €1.1m from Fingal County Council to move off the land where he has squatted for the past 20 years, it was revealed last week. Now other Travellers who have squatted on the land for more than 20 years have initiated legal action against the council claiming their entitlements due to "adverse possession" of the land previously bought by the council under a compulsory purchase order.
A council spokesman last week confirmed that the Joyce case has opened up the floodgates for similar claims. "While the examination of the these claims has not been completed, there does appear to be significant duplication of claims," he said.
The council has tried to encourage Travellers to leave the area by offering them alternative housing as well as land and other forms of compensation.
Allison Bray
Irish Independent
Lansdowne shadow looms
RESIDENTS living in the shadow of the Lansdowne Road stadium will learn today whether their objection to its redevelopment will be fast-tracked through the courts.
A decision by the judge to allow the case to be heard through the Commercial Court will significantly speed up its hearing, but will also increase legal costs for residents.
Dublin 4 residents launched two separate legal actions earlier this year calling for a judicial review of the planning permission for the €365m project.
Last week, Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) succeeded in having one case transferred into the big business division of the High Court, where cases take an average of just nine weeks to deal with, despite objections from the residents who took the case.
The LRSDC sought the move after claiming any delay to the project could cost up to €1.2m a month.
The second case was not admitted on the same day because the LRSDC had not given adequate notice to all the residents involved. However, Justice Peter Kelly said he would consider admitting it today.
Set up in 2004, the Commercial Court is the fastest court in the land, but its procedures can be extremely demanding and expenses can rack up very quickly.
A number of local residents were in court last Monday to urge the judge not to admit the case to the commercial list, while representatives for the LRSDC, Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanala said they were in favour of the transfer.
The first case was brought by locals Brian O'Keeffe and Rosemarie Loftus of Lansdowne Road, who want the decision granting permission for the demolition of the existing stadium and the construction of a multimillion-euro purpose stadium quashed. They will also be seeking a stay on the works until the final determination of their challenge. In the proceedings against An Bord Pleanala, the couple claim that the board failed to address the impact of the development on their property rights.
The second broader case - which may be admitted to the Commercial Court today - was brought by Kevin McMahon and Mariaelena Byrne of O'Connell Gardens, Sandymount, Dublin, and also looks to quash the stadium's planning permission. The case is more complex because it also argues that certain sections of the Planning and Development Act 2000 are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights in failing to provide for compensation where property is devalued by implementation of the planning permission. Last month an agreement was reached between stadium developers and local residents on compensation. The total cost of the deal agreed by the council and those redeveloping the 50,000 seater stadium is €2.44m. The fund "for householders in the vicinity of the new stadium, to cover inconvenience and disturbance" will see 14 households receive a total of €1.68m.
A further eight households are in line for a lump sum of €32,500 each, while an extra fund of €500,000 has now also been established for other householders in the area. Those who believe they have been negatively affected by the project will be able to submit a claim.
Edel Kennedy
Irish Independent
A decision by the judge to allow the case to be heard through the Commercial Court will significantly speed up its hearing, but will also increase legal costs for residents.
Dublin 4 residents launched two separate legal actions earlier this year calling for a judicial review of the planning permission for the €365m project.
Last week, Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) succeeded in having one case transferred into the big business division of the High Court, where cases take an average of just nine weeks to deal with, despite objections from the residents who took the case.
The LRSDC sought the move after claiming any delay to the project could cost up to €1.2m a month.
The second case was not admitted on the same day because the LRSDC had not given adequate notice to all the residents involved. However, Justice Peter Kelly said he would consider admitting it today.
Set up in 2004, the Commercial Court is the fastest court in the land, but its procedures can be extremely demanding and expenses can rack up very quickly.
A number of local residents were in court last Monday to urge the judge not to admit the case to the commercial list, while representatives for the LRSDC, Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanala said they were in favour of the transfer.
The first case was brought by locals Brian O'Keeffe and Rosemarie Loftus of Lansdowne Road, who want the decision granting permission for the demolition of the existing stadium and the construction of a multimillion-euro purpose stadium quashed. They will also be seeking a stay on the works until the final determination of their challenge. In the proceedings against An Bord Pleanala, the couple claim that the board failed to address the impact of the development on their property rights.
The second broader case - which may be admitted to the Commercial Court today - was brought by Kevin McMahon and Mariaelena Byrne of O'Connell Gardens, Sandymount, Dublin, and also looks to quash the stadium's planning permission. The case is more complex because it also argues that certain sections of the Planning and Development Act 2000 are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights in failing to provide for compensation where property is devalued by implementation of the planning permission. Last month an agreement was reached between stadium developers and local residents on compensation. The total cost of the deal agreed by the council and those redeveloping the 50,000 seater stadium is €2.44m. The fund "for householders in the vicinity of the new stadium, to cover inconvenience and disturbance" will see 14 households receive a total of €1.68m.
A further eight households are in line for a lump sum of €32,500 each, while an extra fund of €500,000 has now also been established for other householders in the area. Those who believe they have been negatively affected by the project will be able to submit a claim.
Edel Kennedy
Irish Independent
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Study - Can Globalisation and Sustainability Co-exist?
More than two years in the making - 'Raising Our Game: Can We Sustain Globalization?' - offers a blunt assessment of the business operating context in 2027.
The study depicts four alternate scenarios for the year 2027 in a 'card game' format - where clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades represent various combinations of environmental and societal wins and losses.
Grounded in the hard realities that business and policy leaders face now and through 2027, Raising Our Game is neither a starry-eyed look at a rosy future, nor a 'chicken little' prediction of inevitable calamity.
The report's authors say it is about the hard choices we face and what they mean for us all down the road. As the stakes rise, innovation, entrepreneurship and effectively sourcing ideas and talent from emerging economies, will be essential to managing the worsening divides that now threaten global stability. These threats are catalogued in Section three of the report.
See: www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/CustomO16C45F80526.PDF
The study depicts four alternate scenarios for the year 2027 in a 'card game' format - where clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades represent various combinations of environmental and societal wins and losses.
Grounded in the hard realities that business and policy leaders face now and through 2027, Raising Our Game is neither a starry-eyed look at a rosy future, nor a 'chicken little' prediction of inevitable calamity.
The report's authors say it is about the hard choices we face and what they mean for us all down the road. As the stakes rise, innovation, entrepreneurship and effectively sourcing ideas and talent from emerging economies, will be essential to managing the worsening divides that now threaten global stability. These threats are catalogued in Section three of the report.
See: www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/CustomO16C45F80526.PDF
Roche notes EEA publication on greenhouse gas emissions
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has noted the publication by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) of greenhouse gas emissions data for 2005.
The EEA repor is based on data supplied by Member States. In Ireland, greenhouse gas emissions data is compiled by the EPA.
The EEA report records a decrease in emissions for the EU as a whole between 2004 and 2005 - largely due to the use of less carbon-intensive fuel in power generation and reduced fuel consumption for heating purposes in households and businesses.
Within this overall trend, emissions from a number of Member States - including Ireland - increased slightly between 2004 and 2005. The data for Ireland - which has already been published by the Environmental Protection Agency in February of this year (Click Here) - shows that our 2005 emissions were 25% above the base-year level - or, 12 percentage points above the 13% target which must be reached over the 2008-2012 period.
The Minister commented - "The data for Ireland has already been published by the Environmental Protection Agency in February of this year. While the growth of 1.9% in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 is disappointing, it was well below the 5.5% growth in the economy recorded for 2005 - so, it is clear that we are still decoupling emissions from economic growth."
Detailed analysis of the data shows that, in a number of sectors - notably the waste, residential and agriculture sectors, emissions are either stable or are on a decreasing trend. Lower emissions in the agriculture sector can be attributed to lower livestock levels and decreased fertiliser use. Much of the increase in Ireland's emissions can be attributed to two factors - the fact that new peat-powered electricity plants had their first full year of operation in 2005 and the increase in private car ownership.
The Minister emphasised that the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012, published in April, sets out the basis on which Ireland will meet its Kyoto Protocol targets. It recognises that emissions had been projected to increase - but the measures that have been put in place already, coupled with additional measures set out in the new Strategy, will reverse this trend.
The Strategy addresses measures to all sectors of the economy - including energy, transport, agriculture, the residential sector and businesses. It includes existing measures put in place on foot of the 2000 National Climate Change Strategy and, subsequently, through the National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transport 21, the Energy White Paper and the Bioenergy Action Plan. It also includes a series of additional measures to deliver the overall objective of putting Ireland on a pathway towards a low-carbon economy.
Ireland's Kyoto Protocol target:
Ireland must reduce its emissions to within 13% of 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 period. This level is equivalent to 63 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
The National Climate Change Strategy, published in April 2007, shows that the total contribution of measures adopted by the Government, will account for 80% of the effort that Ireland will need to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. The remaining 20% will be made up by Ireland's use of the Flexible Mechanisms.
The flexible mechanisms allow Kyoto Protocol Parties to support the development of clean technology in the developing world in return for emissions credits. Projects must meet stringent criteria laid down by the UN to ensure that they achieve actual emissions reductions. Only verified emissions reductions will result in credits being issued by the UN.
€270 million has been allocated under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 for investment in such projects over the lifetime of the Strategy.
The use of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms to purchase credits is separate from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme - in which only companies can buy and sell credits.
The EEA repor is based on data supplied by Member States. In Ireland, greenhouse gas emissions data is compiled by the EPA.
The EEA report records a decrease in emissions for the EU as a whole between 2004 and 2005 - largely due to the use of less carbon-intensive fuel in power generation and reduced fuel consumption for heating purposes in households and businesses.
Within this overall trend, emissions from a number of Member States - including Ireland - increased slightly between 2004 and 2005. The data for Ireland - which has already been published by the Environmental Protection Agency in February of this year (Click Here) - shows that our 2005 emissions were 25% above the base-year level - or, 12 percentage points above the 13% target which must be reached over the 2008-2012 period.
The Minister commented - "The data for Ireland has already been published by the Environmental Protection Agency in February of this year. While the growth of 1.9% in Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 is disappointing, it was well below the 5.5% growth in the economy recorded for 2005 - so, it is clear that we are still decoupling emissions from economic growth."
Detailed analysis of the data shows that, in a number of sectors - notably the waste, residential and agriculture sectors, emissions are either stable or are on a decreasing trend. Lower emissions in the agriculture sector can be attributed to lower livestock levels and decreased fertiliser use. Much of the increase in Ireland's emissions can be attributed to two factors - the fact that new peat-powered electricity plants had their first full year of operation in 2005 and the increase in private car ownership.
The Minister emphasised that the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012, published in April, sets out the basis on which Ireland will meet its Kyoto Protocol targets. It recognises that emissions had been projected to increase - but the measures that have been put in place already, coupled with additional measures set out in the new Strategy, will reverse this trend.
The Strategy addresses measures to all sectors of the economy - including energy, transport, agriculture, the residential sector and businesses. It includes existing measures put in place on foot of the 2000 National Climate Change Strategy and, subsequently, through the National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transport 21, the Energy White Paper and the Bioenergy Action Plan. It also includes a series of additional measures to deliver the overall objective of putting Ireland on a pathway towards a low-carbon economy.
Ireland's Kyoto Protocol target:
Ireland must reduce its emissions to within 13% of 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 period. This level is equivalent to 63 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
The National Climate Change Strategy, published in April 2007, shows that the total contribution of measures adopted by the Government, will account for 80% of the effort that Ireland will need to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. The remaining 20% will be made up by Ireland's use of the Flexible Mechanisms.
The flexible mechanisms allow Kyoto Protocol Parties to support the development of clean technology in the developing world in return for emissions credits. Projects must meet stringent criteria laid down by the UN to ensure that they achieve actual emissions reductions. Only verified emissions reductions will result in credits being issued by the UN.
€270 million has been allocated under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 for investment in such projects over the lifetime of the Strategy.
The use of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms to purchase credits is separate from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme - in which only companies can buy and sell credits.
€5m to local authorities to improve Local Social and Community Facilities
The Minister for The Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche T.D., has announced capital grants totalling €5m towards consolidating and continuing the development of local social and community facilities under the Social and Community Facilities Capital Scheme in 2007.
Under the 2007 Scheme, each county/city council will receive a grant of €150,000, which will underpin and support social capital work in their areas. These grants will be used to fund targeted capital developments carried out through local authorities, that are designed to enhance communities, address disadvantage and improve social cohesion at a local level.
The types of projects approved for funding in the announcement include -
* The upgrade of community and resource centres;
* Youth facilities;
* Arts and culture centre improvements;
* Community sports facilities;
* Park & amenity area enhancements;
* Town & village improvements.
"These grants will assist communities across the country in bringing about real improvements and enhancements to community facilities in their areas. It continues my Department's commitment to providing the necessary support to enable local areas and community amenities to be further developed and utilised" - said the Minister.
Under the 2007 Scheme, each county/city council will receive a grant of €150,000, which will underpin and support social capital work in their areas. These grants will be used to fund targeted capital developments carried out through local authorities, that are designed to enhance communities, address disadvantage and improve social cohesion at a local level.
The types of projects approved for funding in the announcement include -
* The upgrade of community and resource centres;
* Youth facilities;
* Arts and culture centre improvements;
* Community sports facilities;
* Park & amenity area enhancements;
* Town & village improvements.
"These grants will assist communities across the country in bringing about real improvements and enhancements to community facilities in their areas. It continues my Department's commitment to providing the necessary support to enable local areas and community amenities to be further developed and utilised" - said the Minister.
Innovative new urban space unveiled in Dublin Docklands
Grand Canal Square - an exciting new urban space in Dublin's Docklands - has been officially opened with a colourful open-air theatre performance by a collection of giant stilt walking butterflies entitled 'Natural Invasions of the Urban Fabric'.
The square is located at Grand Canal Dock on the south side of the river Liffey between Sir John Rogerson's Quay and Pearse Street.
Designed by American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz and developed by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the 10,000 sq metre square is one of the largest paved public spaces in Dublin city.
The €8 million project is among the most innovative landscape design projects ever undertaken in Ireland and is expected to become a key cultural destination.
Grand Canal Square is located at the west end of Grand Canal Dock, with one side facing out on to the water. The recently completed tinted glass office building designed by Duffy Mitchell O�Donoghue - No.1 Grand Canal Square - is on the south side, with the Daniel Libeskind designed Grand Canal Theatre on the east side and the Manual Aires Matues designed 5-star hotel on the north side of the Square.
There will be shops, cafés and restaurants at ground floor level. Already, the first of these have arrived with ely-hq, Fresh and the art gallery - Urban Retreat - already trading successfully. The Square is built over an underground car park at the centre of the Grand Canal Dock development area.
This area has a rich history. The street running along the side of the square is Misery Hill. Back in the 1700s, the place was aptly named, as it was the site of a gallows where pirates and thieves came to a gruesome end. Public executions took place here into the nineteenth century and it is reputed that, on September 17th 1803, two of Robert Emmet's men were hanged on Misery Hill.
Before that in Medieval times, people with leprosy and other skin conditions, who could not afford to stay in the hospice on Lazar's Hill ( now known as Townsend Street), would move on to Misery Hill, as a bell tolled to warn the citizens that the 'unclean' were on their way out of the city.
More recently, Grand Canal Square was part of the former gas-works site.
The square is located at Grand Canal Dock on the south side of the river Liffey between Sir John Rogerson's Quay and Pearse Street.
Designed by American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz and developed by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the 10,000 sq metre square is one of the largest paved public spaces in Dublin city.
The €8 million project is among the most innovative landscape design projects ever undertaken in Ireland and is expected to become a key cultural destination.
Grand Canal Square is located at the west end of Grand Canal Dock, with one side facing out on to the water. The recently completed tinted glass office building designed by Duffy Mitchell O�Donoghue - No.1 Grand Canal Square - is on the south side, with the Daniel Libeskind designed Grand Canal Theatre on the east side and the Manual Aires Matues designed 5-star hotel on the north side of the Square.
There will be shops, cafés and restaurants at ground floor level. Already, the first of these have arrived with ely-hq, Fresh and the art gallery - Urban Retreat - already trading successfully. The Square is built over an underground car park at the centre of the Grand Canal Dock development area.
This area has a rich history. The street running along the side of the square is Misery Hill. Back in the 1700s, the place was aptly named, as it was the site of a gallows where pirates and thieves came to a gruesome end. Public executions took place here into the nineteenth century and it is reputed that, on September 17th 1803, two of Robert Emmet's men were hanged on Misery Hill.
Before that in Medieval times, people with leprosy and other skin conditions, who could not afford to stay in the hospice on Lazar's Hill ( now known as Townsend Street), would move on to Misery Hill, as a bell tolled to warn the citizens that the 'unclean' were on their way out of the city.
More recently, Grand Canal Square was part of the former gas-works site.
Bord Gáis launches Gaswest Project
Bord Gáis have unveiled the Gaswest Project - a €40 million, three-year development project for the West of Ireland, making natural gas available to eleven towns along the Mayo-Galway Transmission Pipeline.
Representatives of Bord Gáis Networks met with Mayo County Council to outline the first phase of the construction programme for the Gaswest Project, which will see work commence in Castlebar and Westport next month.
Bord Gáis expects to have the first gas in Castlebar by December 2007 and in Westport by March 2008. Connections will then be rolled-out during the following months. Work in Headford and Craughwell in Co Galway will commence in August 2007 with gas available to these towns in 2008.
The remaining seven towns of Athenry and Tuam in Co Galway - and Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Claremorris, Crossmolina and Knock in Co Mayo - are subject to tender and local authority agreement, but are expected to receive gas during 2008 and 2009. Bord Gáis remains committed to commencing construction as soon as possible. In some towns, advance works will be carried out in the coming months to co-ordinate with town business plans.
Fiona Lally, Gaswest Project Manager, confirmed the company's plans stating - "This is an important project for the West of Ireland, with the availability of natural gas and its benefits to many parts of the region for the first time. The response from local authorities to the construction programme has been very positive and we will continue to liaise with local authorities, businesses and residents throughout the process to ensure that they are kept informed and disruption is kept to a minimum."
In 2006, Bord Gáis obtained approval from the CER (Commission for Energy Regulation) for a new Connections Policy. The Policy contained revised economic criteria by which gas network extensions are evaluated. On completion of a study to assess the towns along the Mayo-Galway Pipeline Corridor, eleven towns that previously proved unsuitable for a network extension now qualify under the new policy.
The Mayo-Galway transmission pipeline greatly improved the potential viability of towns along the route. Towns that do not meet the current criteria, as outlined by the CER, will be kept under review by Bord Gáis Networks.
Mark Holohan, Connection Sales Manager, added - "Natural gas is the fuel of choice for 575,000 homes and businesses throughout the country. For the first time, residents and businesses in these eleven towns can also avail of this competitively-priced, clean, convenient fuel. Bord Gáis Networks is responsible for connecting all gas customers to the pipeline and connection advisors will be available in all towns to advise people on the methods of converting to natural gas."
Background
In November 2006, Bord Gáis announced the extension of the natural gas network to eleven towns along the route of the new Mayo-Galway pipeline (Click Here). The decision was approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation and endorsed by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD.
This announcement followed the completion of Phase 1 of the New Towns Analysis report undertaken by Bord Gáis. This study evaluated the viability of connecting towns along the route of the new Bord Gáis Mayo-Galway gas transmission pipeline that was completed in October 2006 to a point south of the proposed gas terminal.
The eleven new towns that will be connected are - Athenry, Craughwell, Headford and Tuam in Co. Galway and Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Claremorris, Crossmolina, Knock and Westport in Co. Mayo. The total capital expenditure involved in bringing gas to these towns will be approximately €40m.
A number of towns in Co. Mayo and Co. Galway that had previously proved uneconomic, qualified for connection to the natural gas network under the terms of the new Gas Connections Policy approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation in April 2006. This Policy revised the criteria by which gas network extensions are evaluated and prompted a study by Bord Gáis of the viability of connecting new towns to the gas network.
The completion of the Mayo-Galway pipeline greatly improved the potential viability of towns along the pipeline route and these were evaluated in Phase 1 of the study. The co-operation and assistance of county officials in both Mayo and Galway played a key role in the successful outcome of the evaluation.
Representatives of Bord Gáis Networks met with Mayo County Council to outline the first phase of the construction programme for the Gaswest Project, which will see work commence in Castlebar and Westport next month.
Bord Gáis expects to have the first gas in Castlebar by December 2007 and in Westport by March 2008. Connections will then be rolled-out during the following months. Work in Headford and Craughwell in Co Galway will commence in August 2007 with gas available to these towns in 2008.
The remaining seven towns of Athenry and Tuam in Co Galway - and Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Claremorris, Crossmolina and Knock in Co Mayo - are subject to tender and local authority agreement, but are expected to receive gas during 2008 and 2009. Bord Gáis remains committed to commencing construction as soon as possible. In some towns, advance works will be carried out in the coming months to co-ordinate with town business plans.
Fiona Lally, Gaswest Project Manager, confirmed the company's plans stating - "This is an important project for the West of Ireland, with the availability of natural gas and its benefits to many parts of the region for the first time. The response from local authorities to the construction programme has been very positive and we will continue to liaise with local authorities, businesses and residents throughout the process to ensure that they are kept informed and disruption is kept to a minimum."
In 2006, Bord Gáis obtained approval from the CER (Commission for Energy Regulation) for a new Connections Policy. The Policy contained revised economic criteria by which gas network extensions are evaluated. On completion of a study to assess the towns along the Mayo-Galway Pipeline Corridor, eleven towns that previously proved unsuitable for a network extension now qualify under the new policy.
The Mayo-Galway transmission pipeline greatly improved the potential viability of towns along the route. Towns that do not meet the current criteria, as outlined by the CER, will be kept under review by Bord Gáis Networks.
Mark Holohan, Connection Sales Manager, added - "Natural gas is the fuel of choice for 575,000 homes and businesses throughout the country. For the first time, residents and businesses in these eleven towns can also avail of this competitively-priced, clean, convenient fuel. Bord Gáis Networks is responsible for connecting all gas customers to the pipeline and connection advisors will be available in all towns to advise people on the methods of converting to natural gas."
Background
In November 2006, Bord Gáis announced the extension of the natural gas network to eleven towns along the route of the new Mayo-Galway pipeline (Click Here). The decision was approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation and endorsed by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD.
This announcement followed the completion of Phase 1 of the New Towns Analysis report undertaken by Bord Gáis. This study evaluated the viability of connecting towns along the route of the new Bord Gáis Mayo-Galway gas transmission pipeline that was completed in October 2006 to a point south of the proposed gas terminal.
The eleven new towns that will be connected are - Athenry, Craughwell, Headford and Tuam in Co. Galway and Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Claremorris, Crossmolina, Knock and Westport in Co. Mayo. The total capital expenditure involved in bringing gas to these towns will be approximately €40m.
A number of towns in Co. Mayo and Co. Galway that had previously proved uneconomic, qualified for connection to the natural gas network under the terms of the new Gas Connections Policy approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation in April 2006. This Policy revised the criteria by which gas network extensions are evaluated and prompted a study by Bord Gáis of the viability of connecting new towns to the gas network.
The completion of the Mayo-Galway pipeline greatly improved the potential viability of towns along the pipeline route and these were evaluated in Phase 1 of the study. The co-operation and assistance of county officials in both Mayo and Galway played a key role in the successful outcome of the evaluation.
MATERIAL CONTRAVENTION OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 2002-2008 WESTMEATH COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 34 (6) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 as amended that Westmeath County Council intends to consider deciding to grant permission for
Construction of a Retail Park with linked buildings forming a u-shaped block, surrounding a primary & secondary car parking area providing 915 spaces and 180 bicycle spaces, containing 10 retail warehouse units, including an anchor store with associated garden centre. The Retail Park incorporates a 2 storey administration office area, a restaurant unit and 3 no. ATM's. A free standing single storey coffee shop building is located adjacent to the secondary car park. The development includes new road infrastructure extending from the existing infrastructure in Athlone Business Park, a perimeter service roadway accessing loading areas, boundary fencing, a pumping station, security building, backlit building signage, free standing totem pole signage, an entrance sign at the Old Dublin Road and landscaping
The development would contravene materially the following objective of the Development Plan: namely
1. The site is zoned for light industrial use
Particulars of the development may be inspected at the:
Planning Office, Athlone Area Office, Westmeath County Council, Civic Centre, Church Street, Athlone, Co.Westmeath.
Any submission or observation as regards the making of a decision to grant permission received not later than 4 weeks after the 29th May, 2007 will be duly considered by the planning authority.
Construction of a Retail Park with linked buildings forming a u-shaped block, surrounding a primary & secondary car parking area providing 915 spaces and 180 bicycle spaces, containing 10 retail warehouse units, including an anchor store with associated garden centre. The Retail Park incorporates a 2 storey administration office area, a restaurant unit and 3 no. ATM's. A free standing single storey coffee shop building is located adjacent to the secondary car park. The development includes new road infrastructure extending from the existing infrastructure in Athlone Business Park, a perimeter service roadway accessing loading areas, boundary fencing, a pumping station, security building, backlit building signage, free standing totem pole signage, an entrance sign at the Old Dublin Road and landscaping
The development would contravene materially the following objective of the Development Plan: namely
1. The site is zoned for light industrial use
Particulars of the development may be inspected at the:
Planning Office, Athlone Area Office, Westmeath County Council, Civic Centre, Church Street, Athlone, Co.Westmeath.
Any submission or observation as regards the making of a decision to grant permission received not later than 4 weeks after the 29th May, 2007 will be duly considered by the planning authority.
Biodiversity Plan - Call for Submissions
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is preparing a County Biodiversity Plan. Submissions are sought from interested groups and individuals to assist in the drafting of this plan.
You are invited to participate in the consultative process by attending open sessions on June 13th in the County Hall in Dun Laoghaire and on June 14th in the Dundrum County Council Offices, both commencing at 19:30.
Written submissions are also welcome. They can be sent to the Biodiversity Officer, Parks Department, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire. The deadline for submissions is 16:30 on 20th June 2007. All submissions will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
Further Information can be requested from the Biodiversity Officer at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, 01-2054700 or email at rdwyer@dlrcoco.ie
You are invited to participate in the consultative process by attending open sessions on June 13th in the County Hall in Dun Laoghaire and on June 14th in the Dundrum County Council Offices, both commencing at 19:30.
Written submissions are also welcome. They can be sent to the Biodiversity Officer, Parks Department, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire. The deadline for submissions is 16:30 on 20th June 2007. All submissions will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
Further Information can be requested from the Biodiversity Officer at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, 01-2054700 or email at rdwyer@dlrcoco.ie
Notice of Draft Rural Design Guide for Individual Houses in the Countryside
In developing and setting higher standards of design in County Limerick, Limerick County Council has prepared a Draft Rural Design Guide for Individual Houses in the Countryside.
A copy of the Draft Rural Design Guide may be inspected at the locations listed below during the period from Saturday, 2nd June 2007 to Monday, 2nd July 2007 inclusive.
Planning & Development Department, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick
Annacotty Area Office, Rivers, Castletroy, Co. Limerick
Croom Area Office, Croom, Co. Limerick
Rathkeale Area Office, New Line Road, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
Kilmallock Area Office, The Courthouse, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
Newcastle West Area Office, Arás William Smith O’Brien, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
Dooradoyle Branch Library, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick.
City Library, The Granary, Michael St., Limerick.
Public Library, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
Public Library, The Courthouse, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick
Public Library, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
The Draft Rural Design Guide may also be viewed on the County Council’s web site: www.lcc.ie/Planning/Publications_and_Policy.
Written submissions or observations with respect to the Draft Rural Design Guide should be submitted to the Forward Planning Section, Planning & Development Department, Limerick County Council, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick before 3.30pm on Monday, 2nd July, 2007 will be taken into consideration by the Planning Authority before the Rural Design Guide is adopted.
A copy of the Draft Rural Design Guide may be inspected at the locations listed below during the period from Saturday, 2nd June 2007 to Monday, 2nd July 2007 inclusive.
Planning & Development Department, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick
Annacotty Area Office, Rivers, Castletroy, Co. Limerick
Croom Area Office, Croom, Co. Limerick
Rathkeale Area Office, New Line Road, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
Kilmallock Area Office, The Courthouse, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
Newcastle West Area Office, Arás William Smith O’Brien, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
Dooradoyle Branch Library, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick.
City Library, The Granary, Michael St., Limerick.
Public Library, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick
Public Library, The Courthouse, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick
Public Library, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick
The Draft Rural Design Guide may also be viewed on the County Council’s web site: www.lcc.ie/Planning/Publications_and_Policy.
Written submissions or observations with respect to the Draft Rural Design Guide should be submitted to the Forward Planning Section, Planning & Development Department, Limerick County Council, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Co. Limerick before 3.30pm on Monday, 2nd July, 2007 will be taken into consideration by the Planning Authority before the Rural Design Guide is adopted.
PREPARATION OF DRAFT CARLOW COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 11 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and Article 13b of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2000 that Carlow County Council, being the Planning Authority for the administrative area of Carlow (excluding the urban district of Carlow) intends to review the existing 2003 County Development Plan and prepare a new Development Plan.
The Planning Authority proposes to carry out an environmental assessment as part of the review of the existing Development Plan and the preparation of a new Development Plan. For this purpose the Planning Authority will prepare an environmental report of the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the new plan. The provisions of article 13C to 13J of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations shall apply.
The Development Plan is the main statement of planning policies for Carlow County. It sets out the land use, amenity and development objectives and policies of the Planning Authority for a six year period. It consists of a written statement of objectives, together with accompanying maps and diagrams.
Written submissions and observations in relation to the review of the 2003 Development Plan and preparation of a new Plan are invited during this initial public consultation period until 5 p.m. on Friday 3rd August, 2007. Further opportunities for public participation will occur following the publication of a draft development plan.
Submissions or observations may be made in writing to the Senior Executive Officer, Planning Department, Carlow County Council, Athy Road, Carlow or by email to ebrophy@carlowcoco.ie.
The Planning Authority proposes to carry out an environmental assessment as part of the review of the existing Development Plan and the preparation of a new Development Plan. For this purpose the Planning Authority will prepare an environmental report of the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the new plan. The provisions of article 13C to 13J of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations shall apply.
The Development Plan is the main statement of planning policies for Carlow County. It sets out the land use, amenity and development objectives and policies of the Planning Authority for a six year period. It consists of a written statement of objectives, together with accompanying maps and diagrams.
Written submissions and observations in relation to the review of the 2003 Development Plan and preparation of a new Plan are invited during this initial public consultation period until 5 p.m. on Friday 3rd August, 2007. Further opportunities for public participation will occur following the publication of a draft development plan.
Submissions or observations may be made in writing to the Senior Executive Officer, Planning Department, Carlow County Council, Athy Road, Carlow or by email to ebrophy@carlowcoco.ie.
Draft Sandyford Urban Framework Plan – Public Exhibition
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has appointed specialist urban design consultants Urban Initiatives to prepare a Draft Urban Framework Plan for Sandyford Industrial Estate, Central Park and South County Business Park. A draft of this Framework is on public display until Thursday 28th June, 2007.
Naas Road Gateway Urban Design Masterplan
It is an objective of South Dublin County Council’s Development Plan 2004-2010 to prepare an Urban Design Masterplan for the Naas Road as a strategic gateway to Dublin City.
The Council is inviting expressions of interest for the preparation of this Urban Design Masterplan. Addressed to:
Expressions of Interest – Naas Road Gateway Urban
Design Masterplan
Corporate Services Department
South Dublin County Council
County Hall
Tallaght
Dublin 24
Before 16:00 hours, Monday 16th July 2007
The Council is inviting expressions of interest for the preparation of this Urban Design Masterplan. Addressed to:
Expressions of Interest – Naas Road Gateway Urban
Design Masterplan
Corporate Services Department
South Dublin County Council
County Hall
Tallaght
Dublin 24
Before 16:00 hours, Monday 16th July 2007
Castleknock Village Urban Centre Strategy
In accordance with the Urban Development Policy of Part IV of the Fingal Development Plan 2005-2011 and under Objectives UO2 and CASTLEKNOCK 1 of the Plan, the County Council intends:
“To prepare an urban centre strategy for Castleknock Village”
This future strategy will create a realistic vision for the future enhancement of the vitality and viability of the Village as an Urban Centre within Dublin 15 and will provide a framework to guide the formulation of future development proposals.
The County Council hereby invites all interested parties to make submissions on the future development and use of lands within Castleknock Village.
“To prepare an urban centre strategy for Castleknock Village”
This future strategy will create a realistic vision for the future enhancement of the vitality and viability of the Village as an Urban Centre within Dublin 15 and will provide a framework to guide the formulation of future development proposals.
The County Council hereby invites all interested parties to make submissions on the future development and use of lands within Castleknock Village.
A Masterplan for Shannon - Public to be Consulted on Rejuvenation of Clare's Second Largest Town
Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, Wed 13th June 07 - Members of the public are being invited to help prepare a masterplan for the rejuvenation of County Clare's second largest town. Strictly dealing with land-use issues, the masterplan will seek to guide and facilitate the future development of over 90 acres of land in the centre of Shannon Town, as identified in the South Clare Economic Corridor Local Area Plan 2003.
The key objectives of the masterplan include the provision of new civic landmark facilities for Shannon, the creation of an attractive and durable urban public domain of streets and squares, a town centre built on excellent public transport linkages, and a living town centre with residential development integrated with commercial and employment uses. The masterplan also aims to diversify the range of commercial uses and activities, and support a vibrant town centre atmosphere daytime and evening.
Murray Ó Laoire Architects, in association with property consultants DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald and consulting engineers White Young Green are to prepare the masterplan, on behalf of Clare County Council. As part of the process a public information and consultation evening will be hosted in the Oakwood Arms Hotel, Shannon from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday 28th June 2007. The Masterplan team will also be available to meet by appointment with representatives of local community groups during stakeholder clinics on June 28th in the offices of Shannon Town Council.
"The purpose of the masterplan is to conceive an overall vision, planning framework and design guidance on the best potential development of the lands as an extension of the town centre area in Shannon", stated John Bradley, Senior Executive Planner, Clare County Council.
He continued, "It is imperative that the local community is incorporated into any plans to develop the centre of Shannon. The upcoming public meeting will allow the local community to inform us of their economic development, recreational, social, community, residential, transport and infrastructural needs."
Submissions to the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan should be made in writing or email by 4:00 p.m. on Friday July 9th 2007. All submissions should be marked; Shannon TC02/TC03 Masterplan, Murray Ó Laoire Architects, Brian Merriman Place, Lock Quay, Limerick or they can be e-mailed to Kate.Hogan@murrayolaoire.com. Submissions should state the name, address, and where relevant, the body represented. The Masterplan team will review all submissions and observations lodged within the above timeframe.
The key objectives of the masterplan include the provision of new civic landmark facilities for Shannon, the creation of an attractive and durable urban public domain of streets and squares, a town centre built on excellent public transport linkages, and a living town centre with residential development integrated with commercial and employment uses. The masterplan also aims to diversify the range of commercial uses and activities, and support a vibrant town centre atmosphere daytime and evening.
Murray Ó Laoire Architects, in association with property consultants DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald and consulting engineers White Young Green are to prepare the masterplan, on behalf of Clare County Council. As part of the process a public information and consultation evening will be hosted in the Oakwood Arms Hotel, Shannon from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday 28th June 2007. The Masterplan team will also be available to meet by appointment with representatives of local community groups during stakeholder clinics on June 28th in the offices of Shannon Town Council.
"The purpose of the masterplan is to conceive an overall vision, planning framework and design guidance on the best potential development of the lands as an extension of the town centre area in Shannon", stated John Bradley, Senior Executive Planner, Clare County Council.
He continued, "It is imperative that the local community is incorporated into any plans to develop the centre of Shannon. The upcoming public meeting will allow the local community to inform us of their economic development, recreational, social, community, residential, transport and infrastructural needs."
Submissions to the Shannon Town Centre Masterplan should be made in writing or email by 4:00 p.m. on Friday July 9th 2007. All submissions should be marked; Shannon TC02/TC03 Masterplan, Murray Ó Laoire Architects, Brian Merriman Place, Lock Quay, Limerick or they can be e-mailed to Kate.Hogan@murrayolaoire.com. Submissions should state the name, address, and where relevant, the body represented. The Masterplan team will review all submissions and observations lodged within the above timeframe.
Motorway construction ahead of schedule
Despite ongoing controversy and delays to the planned M3 motorway, three of the other main motorways under construction nationwide are running between eight and ten months ahead of their scheduled completion dates.
Contractors working on the N6 Dublin to Galway, the N7 Dublin to Limerick and N8 Cork to Dublin motorways are making significant progress. It is believed that these new motorways could be complete within two years - ahead of their target dates in 2010.
Last month, the sod was turned on the 56-kilometre Galway to Ballinasloe stretch of the N6, and the opening of the Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan stretch on May 16 completed the first major phase of that project. Contractors on the N7 and N8 - some of which are consortiums with foreign companies - are also moving apace without any hitches to date.
In addition, other major motorway projects - such as the Dublin to Waterford and Dublin to Sligo motorways - are well on target to be completed within the next three years, according to a new report by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF).
The federation consulted contractors working on all 13 major road projects, which are part of the €34 billion Transport 21 programme.
This includes the 560 kilometre ‘Atlantic Corridor’ that stretches from Letterkenny to Waterford - with a tunnel under the Shannon in Limerick - and the Dublin to Rosslare motorway.
A CIF spokesman said the completion of these major roadways should bring many benefits. ‘‘At the start of the last National Development Plan (NDP) in 2000, there were some delays in the roll-out of the inter-urban motorway programmes, but these delays are a thing of the past, as evidenced by the delivery on budget and ahead of time of the last 20major road schemes,” he said.
‘‘The CIF study shows that the country can look forward to having all of our main cities connected by motorway within the next three years.
‘‘As well as bringing the benefits of certainty of travel time and enhanced road safety, the completion of the programme will greatly enhance the capacity for the regions to increase economic activity, allowing for greater investment and the potential for job creation.”
Many towns and villages around the country have benefited hugely from by passes and new sections of motorway.
Heavy congestion has been relieved, and locals can use their town centres for business and leisure with greater ease, according to the CIF.
Contractors working on the N6 Dublin to Galway, the N7 Dublin to Limerick and N8 Cork to Dublin motorways are making significant progress. It is believed that these new motorways could be complete within two years - ahead of their target dates in 2010.
Last month, the sod was turned on the 56-kilometre Galway to Ballinasloe stretch of the N6, and the opening of the Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan stretch on May 16 completed the first major phase of that project. Contractors on the N7 and N8 - some of which are consortiums with foreign companies - are also moving apace without any hitches to date.
In addition, other major motorway projects - such as the Dublin to Waterford and Dublin to Sligo motorways - are well on target to be completed within the next three years, according to a new report by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF).
The federation consulted contractors working on all 13 major road projects, which are part of the €34 billion Transport 21 programme.
This includes the 560 kilometre ‘Atlantic Corridor’ that stretches from Letterkenny to Waterford - with a tunnel under the Shannon in Limerick - and the Dublin to Rosslare motorway.
A CIF spokesman said the completion of these major roadways should bring many benefits. ‘‘At the start of the last National Development Plan (NDP) in 2000, there were some delays in the roll-out of the inter-urban motorway programmes, but these delays are a thing of the past, as evidenced by the delivery on budget and ahead of time of the last 20major road schemes,” he said.
‘‘The CIF study shows that the country can look forward to having all of our main cities connected by motorway within the next three years.
‘‘As well as bringing the benefits of certainty of travel time and enhanced road safety, the completion of the programme will greatly enhance the capacity for the regions to increase economic activity, allowing for greater investment and the potential for job creation.”
Many towns and villages around the country have benefited hugely from by passes and new sections of motorway.
Heavy congestion has been relieved, and locals can use their town centres for business and leisure with greater ease, according to the CIF.
Lofty aims for €380m Centre
The long-awaited Dublin Convention Centre will be officially launched this week, with high hopes of making a major impact on business tourism, writes Ian Kehoe.
This Tuesday, several hundred members of Ireland’s political, business and academic classes will gather in the state apartments in Dublin Castle for the official launch of the National Conference Centre.
The highlight of the event will be a presentation by the centre’s management team, detailing all aspects of the €380 million project - from construction deadlines right through to the rationale behind the centre’s new abstract corporate logo.
The first thing on the agenda, however, will be informing the assembled masses that the National Conference Centre will no longer be known by that name. From Tuesday onwards, the facility in Spencer Dock in Dublin will be known as the Convention Centre, Dublin.
‘‘As of Tuesday, we are basically open for business,” said Dermod Dwyer, executive chairman of the Spencer Dock Convention Centre, Dublin, the Treasury Holdings-led consortium that was awarded the state contract to build and manage the facility.
The audience, which will include Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, will also be told the official opening date for the new facility - September 1, 2010. Preliminary building and excavation work has already started on the site at Spencer Dock in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), on the north side of the River Liffey.
‘‘At the moment, the tower cranes are on the site, the basement slab has been poured, and the piling has been done. The building is starting to come out of the ground,” said Dwyer. ‘‘It has been a long time coming, but we are happy to finally get the show on the road.”
Within hours of finishing the Dublin launch, the centre’s management will move on to London for further meetings. Up to 85 per cent of the centre’s business will come from international conferences, and the management team are making a particular effort to court the British market.
‘‘Tuesday will be about launching our new brand and our new name,” said Dwyer, a Harvard-educated veteran of the tourism industry.
‘‘Up to now, it has been known as the National Conference Centre, but the word ‘conference’ is very limiting and the word ‘national’ is very limiting. The Convention Centre, Dublin is a strong statement; it does what it says on the tin.”
The renaming exercise will also allow the project to offload some negative associations from the past. The centre has been on the radar of successive governments for more than 15 years, but plans have been hit by numerous delays, disputes and controversies.
When the original tender document for the development of the centre was first issued in November 2003, it stated the project would be ready by the start of 2008. But the date was subsequently changed and the actual tender document was altered on 66 separate occasions before the contract was awarded earlier this year.
The Spencer Dock consortium finally signed formal contracts with the state in April, after beating rival bidder, Anna Livia, a consortium backed by Bennett Construction.
A third potential bidder, led by the Michael McNamara Group, withdrew from the process in 2005.
The Spencer Dock consortium includes Treasury Holdings owners Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett, and businessman Harry Crosbie, who owns the Point Theatre venue in Dublin. CIE, the state rail agency, is also a partner in the project.
In addition to building the centre, the consortium also won the contract to maintain and operate it for 25 years, after which it will return to state control. Over that 25 years, the state will pay the consortium a total of €380million.
When finished, the centre will have the capacity for 8,000 conference delegates. Its focal point will be the Auditorium, a 2,000-seater venue with a 400 square metre stage. There will also be two so-called ‘‘flat floor’’ spaces, which can be used for exhibitions, conventions, and banqueting.
The larger of the two, which will be called the Forum, is 2,700 square metres in size and can fit approximately 2,000 people for one dinner sitting.
At 1,700 square metres, the Liffey Room is slightly smaller, but can still hold a banquet for 1,500 people.
In total, there will be 25 different rooms and meeting places in the 46,500 square metre, five-storey premises.
The centre will also include a 250-bedroom hotel. ‘‘We already have our first contracted event, which is the British Orthopaedic Convention in 2011,” said Nick Waight, the new chief executive of the centre.
‘‘There are 15 other smaller events booked onto our diary as well. This is even before we have started to market the product. There is a huge demand out there for conferences to come across to Ireland.”
Although the chief executive title is relatively new, Waight has been involved with the Spencer Dock project since 1998.He has worked with the NEC Group in Britain for more than a decade, and is also chief executive of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.
According to Waight, no conflict of interest arises over his new job in Dublin and the retention of his role as chief executive of the ICC. If anything, he said, it will create greater synergies. ‘‘They are actually two distinctly different markets,” he said.
‘‘Birmingham deals with an awful lot of national conventions - up to 85per cent are national. Dublin will be the reverse of that, as we will be going after international business,” he said.
As part of that process, Waight and his team are conducting a detailed study of the international conference sector, which involves identifying which conferences will be up for grabs over the coming five-to-seven years and preparing detailed pitches in an effort to secure them.
While the ICC in Birmingham hosts more than 500 events annually, Waight said he expected the Dublin centre to stage about 200 events each year. The majority of those will be events with between 1,500 and 3,500 delegates.
‘‘We can cater for up to 8,000, but there are not that many 8,000-people conferences you can actually get. We will specifically target markets such as the medical, IT, finance, and legal markets - those type of high-profile events. Those people have more disposable income and will have a better effect on the overall Irish economy,” he said.
Ensuring the centre lures a significant number of conferences and conventions to Dublin is crucial for both Waight and Dwyer. Under the terms of the Public Private Partnership (PPP), the government can penalise the Spencer Dock consortium if it does not attract 30,000 international conference delegates to Ireland each year.
‘‘30,000 is a tough target but it is achievable,” said Waight. ‘‘It is not going to happen overnight and it is something that we have to work up to. We are not daunted by it.”
If this figure is not achieved, the government can withhold certain portions of its €360 million payment. The consortium will also be obliged to absorb any losses the centre makes, but if it is successful, the consortium gets to keep all the profits.
One potential problem has surfaced in the past 18months. A number of Dublin’s top hotels - including the Burlington, the Berkeley Court, the Montrose, and Jurys Ballsbridge - have been acquired by property developers and are set to close their doors in the near future.
As such, the number of hotel rooms available for potential conference delegates is falling quickly. ‘‘Obviously it is a concern and there is no point denying that ,” said Dwyer.
However, he said a number of new hotels were due to open, including a 200-bedroomhotel at the redeveloped Point Theatre, and a 250-bedroom hotel across the road from the centre on Grand Canal Dock.
In addition, the consortium will build a five-star hotel with 250 bedrooms as part of the convention centre. Dwyer said the group was in talks with a number of international hotel operators, one of which would ultimately be chosen to manage it.
Between the conference centre and the hotel, the project will create 250 new full-time jobs, 300 part-time posts and indirectly support an additional 2,000 jobs. The aim, according to Dwyer, is to ensure at least 20 per cent of the workforce come from the docklands area.
‘‘If we can, we will hire more than that,” he said. ‘‘This is where Ireland puts its best foot forward to greet the world.”
Sunday Business Post
This Tuesday, several hundred members of Ireland’s political, business and academic classes will gather in the state apartments in Dublin Castle for the official launch of the National Conference Centre.
The highlight of the event will be a presentation by the centre’s management team, detailing all aspects of the €380 million project - from construction deadlines right through to the rationale behind the centre’s new abstract corporate logo.
The first thing on the agenda, however, will be informing the assembled masses that the National Conference Centre will no longer be known by that name. From Tuesday onwards, the facility in Spencer Dock in Dublin will be known as the Convention Centre, Dublin.
‘‘As of Tuesday, we are basically open for business,” said Dermod Dwyer, executive chairman of the Spencer Dock Convention Centre, Dublin, the Treasury Holdings-led consortium that was awarded the state contract to build and manage the facility.
The audience, which will include Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, will also be told the official opening date for the new facility - September 1, 2010. Preliminary building and excavation work has already started on the site at Spencer Dock in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), on the north side of the River Liffey.
‘‘At the moment, the tower cranes are on the site, the basement slab has been poured, and the piling has been done. The building is starting to come out of the ground,” said Dwyer. ‘‘It has been a long time coming, but we are happy to finally get the show on the road.”
Within hours of finishing the Dublin launch, the centre’s management will move on to London for further meetings. Up to 85 per cent of the centre’s business will come from international conferences, and the management team are making a particular effort to court the British market.
‘‘Tuesday will be about launching our new brand and our new name,” said Dwyer, a Harvard-educated veteran of the tourism industry.
‘‘Up to now, it has been known as the National Conference Centre, but the word ‘conference’ is very limiting and the word ‘national’ is very limiting. The Convention Centre, Dublin is a strong statement; it does what it says on the tin.”
The renaming exercise will also allow the project to offload some negative associations from the past. The centre has been on the radar of successive governments for more than 15 years, but plans have been hit by numerous delays, disputes and controversies.
When the original tender document for the development of the centre was first issued in November 2003, it stated the project would be ready by the start of 2008. But the date was subsequently changed and the actual tender document was altered on 66 separate occasions before the contract was awarded earlier this year.
The Spencer Dock consortium finally signed formal contracts with the state in April, after beating rival bidder, Anna Livia, a consortium backed by Bennett Construction.
A third potential bidder, led by the Michael McNamara Group, withdrew from the process in 2005.
The Spencer Dock consortium includes Treasury Holdings owners Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett, and businessman Harry Crosbie, who owns the Point Theatre venue in Dublin. CIE, the state rail agency, is also a partner in the project.
In addition to building the centre, the consortium also won the contract to maintain and operate it for 25 years, after which it will return to state control. Over that 25 years, the state will pay the consortium a total of €380million.
When finished, the centre will have the capacity for 8,000 conference delegates. Its focal point will be the Auditorium, a 2,000-seater venue with a 400 square metre stage. There will also be two so-called ‘‘flat floor’’ spaces, which can be used for exhibitions, conventions, and banqueting.
The larger of the two, which will be called the Forum, is 2,700 square metres in size and can fit approximately 2,000 people for one dinner sitting.
At 1,700 square metres, the Liffey Room is slightly smaller, but can still hold a banquet for 1,500 people.
In total, there will be 25 different rooms and meeting places in the 46,500 square metre, five-storey premises.
The centre will also include a 250-bedroom hotel. ‘‘We already have our first contracted event, which is the British Orthopaedic Convention in 2011,” said Nick Waight, the new chief executive of the centre.
‘‘There are 15 other smaller events booked onto our diary as well. This is even before we have started to market the product. There is a huge demand out there for conferences to come across to Ireland.”
Although the chief executive title is relatively new, Waight has been involved with the Spencer Dock project since 1998.He has worked with the NEC Group in Britain for more than a decade, and is also chief executive of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.
According to Waight, no conflict of interest arises over his new job in Dublin and the retention of his role as chief executive of the ICC. If anything, he said, it will create greater synergies. ‘‘They are actually two distinctly different markets,” he said.
‘‘Birmingham deals with an awful lot of national conventions - up to 85per cent are national. Dublin will be the reverse of that, as we will be going after international business,” he said.
As part of that process, Waight and his team are conducting a detailed study of the international conference sector, which involves identifying which conferences will be up for grabs over the coming five-to-seven years and preparing detailed pitches in an effort to secure them.
While the ICC in Birmingham hosts more than 500 events annually, Waight said he expected the Dublin centre to stage about 200 events each year. The majority of those will be events with between 1,500 and 3,500 delegates.
‘‘We can cater for up to 8,000, but there are not that many 8,000-people conferences you can actually get. We will specifically target markets such as the medical, IT, finance, and legal markets - those type of high-profile events. Those people have more disposable income and will have a better effect on the overall Irish economy,” he said.
Ensuring the centre lures a significant number of conferences and conventions to Dublin is crucial for both Waight and Dwyer. Under the terms of the Public Private Partnership (PPP), the government can penalise the Spencer Dock consortium if it does not attract 30,000 international conference delegates to Ireland each year.
‘‘30,000 is a tough target but it is achievable,” said Waight. ‘‘It is not going to happen overnight and it is something that we have to work up to. We are not daunted by it.”
If this figure is not achieved, the government can withhold certain portions of its €360 million payment. The consortium will also be obliged to absorb any losses the centre makes, but if it is successful, the consortium gets to keep all the profits.
One potential problem has surfaced in the past 18months. A number of Dublin’s top hotels - including the Burlington, the Berkeley Court, the Montrose, and Jurys Ballsbridge - have been acquired by property developers and are set to close their doors in the near future.
As such, the number of hotel rooms available for potential conference delegates is falling quickly. ‘‘Obviously it is a concern and there is no point denying that ,” said Dwyer.
However, he said a number of new hotels were due to open, including a 200-bedroomhotel at the redeveloped Point Theatre, and a 250-bedroom hotel across the road from the centre on Grand Canal Dock.
In addition, the consortium will build a five-star hotel with 250 bedrooms as part of the convention centre. Dwyer said the group was in talks with a number of international hotel operators, one of which would ultimately be chosen to manage it.
Between the conference centre and the hotel, the project will create 250 new full-time jobs, 300 part-time posts and indirectly support an additional 2,000 jobs. The aim, according to Dwyer, is to ensure at least 20 per cent of the workforce come from the docklands area.
‘‘If we can, we will hire more than that,” he said. ‘‘This is where Ireland puts its best foot forward to greet the world.”
Sunday Business Post
EU to decide that one-off house rules are illegal
Planning guidelines in 22 counties which favour people connected to the locality are likely to be scrapped following a complaint to the European Commission.
The commission has completed an examination of the development plans of the counties following a complaint from an Irish citizen who was refused planning permission to build a house in Wicklow.
Planning guidelines inWicklow restrict non-locals from being granted permission for one-off rural houses.
The commission is expected to announce within the coming month that many of the restrictions in the county development plans are illegal under European law.
It finds that many of the provisions concerned are discriminatory, disproportionate and constitute restrictions on the free movement of capital and the freedom of establishment guaranteed by the European treaties.
The Irish government is likely to be notified shortly by Ireland’s EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy once the commission formally approves the results of the investigation.
The findings mean that the development plans of the counties concerned will have to be re-written to remove the offending provisions. One planning source who spoke to The Sunday Business Post speculated this was likely to make permission for one-off rural housing more difficult to obtain.
The areas concerned are Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary North and South, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
All of these counties restrict building permission to people who have connections with the locality - whether as natives of the area, through long-time ownership of land there, or by direct family relationship to it.
Some western counties restrict permission to Irish speakers, which the commission has also found is discriminatory. Rural planning has been a controversial political issue in recent years.
There has been a proliferation of one-off housing in Ireland in recent years. It is estimated that about 32,000 such houses are built in the Republic every year, about ten times the output of the whole of Britain.
Environmentalists and many planners have warned that such development is unsustainable.
Local and central government has responded by trying to limit the housing, though not in such a way that prevents local residents from building on their land for their families - hence the current guidelines.
Planners and government - where the relevant authority is the Department of the Environment, now headed by Green TD John Gormley - will have to find a new way around these obstacles.
Sunday Business Post
The commission has completed an examination of the development plans of the counties following a complaint from an Irish citizen who was refused planning permission to build a house in Wicklow.
Planning guidelines inWicklow restrict non-locals from being granted permission for one-off rural houses.
The commission is expected to announce within the coming month that many of the restrictions in the county development plans are illegal under European law.
It finds that many of the provisions concerned are discriminatory, disproportionate and constitute restrictions on the free movement of capital and the freedom of establishment guaranteed by the European treaties.
The Irish government is likely to be notified shortly by Ireland’s EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy once the commission formally approves the results of the investigation.
The findings mean that the development plans of the counties concerned will have to be re-written to remove the offending provisions. One planning source who spoke to The Sunday Business Post speculated this was likely to make permission for one-off rural housing more difficult to obtain.
The areas concerned are Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Fingal, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Laois, Longford, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary North and South, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.
All of these counties restrict building permission to people who have connections with the locality - whether as natives of the area, through long-time ownership of land there, or by direct family relationship to it.
Some western counties restrict permission to Irish speakers, which the commission has also found is discriminatory. Rural planning has been a controversial political issue in recent years.
There has been a proliferation of one-off housing in Ireland in recent years. It is estimated that about 32,000 such houses are built in the Republic every year, about ten times the output of the whole of Britain.
Environmentalists and many planners have warned that such development is unsustainable.
Local and central government has responded by trying to limit the housing, though not in such a way that prevents local residents from building on their land for their families - hence the current guidelines.
Planners and government - where the relevant authority is the Department of the Environment, now headed by Green TD John Gormley - will have to find a new way around these obstacles.
Sunday Business Post
Councils pay price of failure with Travellers' windfall
EVERY local authority in Ireland is legally bound to draw up plans to house all members of the travelling community in its area. This legislation came into effect nine years ago, but despite this, there are now more families living on the side of the road than there were in 1998.
The issue of Travellers' rights was brought into sharp focus last week when it emerged that Fingal County Council has agreed to pay Traveller David Joyce 1.1m in compensation for the land he has been living on for more than 12 years in Dunsink Lane in Dublin. The council wants the land for a major regeneration project.
The council accepts that there are more claims on the way, with some estimating that if the state wants to get the families to move, it could cost up to 20m. Some of the travelling families who live on Dunsink Lane have been there for up to 20 years. It has been home to up to 500 people at any given time. Now the council wants the land back, except the Travellers have nowhere to go and they have rights.
The law governing squatters' rights in this country says that anyone living on land for more than 12 years where no effort has been made to move them on can claim 'adverse possession' which entitles them to ownership.
It is, perhaps, easy to feel indignant about the cash windfall that the state may be forced to pay traveller families. After all, they didn't pay a mortgage every month to the bank for their home and isn't it their choice to live on the side of the road anyway?
But it could also be argued that the state has neglected this very vulnerable section of our community for far too long and they are entitled to every penny of the money they are set to receive for 'their' land.
Close to 1,000 families in Ireland live on the side of the road. For them day-to-day existence means no electricity, no running water and no toilet facilities. The average life expectancy of a member of the travelling community is about 10 years less than a member of the settled community. Only six Travellers of Leaving Cert age did the exam in 2002.
It may well be argued that living on the side of the road is a matter of choice, but that shows a blatant disregard for the culture of the travelling community. In the UK, Travellers are recognised as an ethnic group, whereas here, we do not even go that far and Travellers are officially referred to as a 'social grouping'.
Attempts at finding accommodation for Travellers have meant pushing them towards living a settled life. The state seems to want the travelling community to live in houses, thus denying their cultural identity. The Department of the Environment says 70m was spent between 2005 and 2006 on housing provision for the travelling community, but there seems to be a lack of understanding for the fact that many simply do not want to live in houses.
Traveller groups argue that the official halting sites which have been provided, are poorly resourced and sub-standard.
For many Travellers, living on the side of the road, in places like Dunsink Lane in Dublin is the only option they have while they wait for local authorities to live up to the promises they made to provide for this unique social grouping.
For Fingal County Council, this failure to consult with the travelling community and to provide suitable accommodation for them may prove to be a costly oversight.
The law is clear: if you have lived somewhere for more than 12 years and no one has made an effort to move you on, the land is yours.
The law is also clear on the other side of the fence. Local authorities are obliged to have plans in place to house the travelling community in their areas.
Inertia on both counts has led, inevitably, to the courthouse.
Claire Byrne presents 'The Breakfast Show' with Ger Gilroy on Newstalk 106-108.
Sunday Independent
The issue of Travellers' rights was brought into sharp focus last week when it emerged that Fingal County Council has agreed to pay Traveller David Joyce 1.1m in compensation for the land he has been living on for more than 12 years in Dunsink Lane in Dublin. The council wants the land for a major regeneration project.
The council accepts that there are more claims on the way, with some estimating that if the state wants to get the families to move, it could cost up to 20m. Some of the travelling families who live on Dunsink Lane have been there for up to 20 years. It has been home to up to 500 people at any given time. Now the council wants the land back, except the Travellers have nowhere to go and they have rights.
The law governing squatters' rights in this country says that anyone living on land for more than 12 years where no effort has been made to move them on can claim 'adverse possession' which entitles them to ownership.
It is, perhaps, easy to feel indignant about the cash windfall that the state may be forced to pay traveller families. After all, they didn't pay a mortgage every month to the bank for their home and isn't it their choice to live on the side of the road anyway?
But it could also be argued that the state has neglected this very vulnerable section of our community for far too long and they are entitled to every penny of the money they are set to receive for 'their' land.
Close to 1,000 families in Ireland live on the side of the road. For them day-to-day existence means no electricity, no running water and no toilet facilities. The average life expectancy of a member of the travelling community is about 10 years less than a member of the settled community. Only six Travellers of Leaving Cert age did the exam in 2002.
It may well be argued that living on the side of the road is a matter of choice, but that shows a blatant disregard for the culture of the travelling community. In the UK, Travellers are recognised as an ethnic group, whereas here, we do not even go that far and Travellers are officially referred to as a 'social grouping'.
Attempts at finding accommodation for Travellers have meant pushing them towards living a settled life. The state seems to want the travelling community to live in houses, thus denying their cultural identity. The Department of the Environment says 70m was spent between 2005 and 2006 on housing provision for the travelling community, but there seems to be a lack of understanding for the fact that many simply do not want to live in houses.
Traveller groups argue that the official halting sites which have been provided, are poorly resourced and sub-standard.
For many Travellers, living on the side of the road, in places like Dunsink Lane in Dublin is the only option they have while they wait for local authorities to live up to the promises they made to provide for this unique social grouping.
For Fingal County Council, this failure to consult with the travelling community and to provide suitable accommodation for them may prove to be a costly oversight.
The law is clear: if you have lived somewhere for more than 12 years and no one has made an effort to move you on, the land is yours.
The law is also clear on the other side of the fence. Local authorities are obliged to have plans in place to house the travelling community in their areas.
Inertia on both counts has led, inevitably, to the courthouse.
Claire Byrne presents 'The Breakfast Show' with Ger Gilroy on Newstalk 106-108.
Sunday Independent
Ikea decision guarantees traffic chaos
THE decision of An Bord Pleanala (ABP) to grant planning permission for the proposed Ikea superstore just off the already highly congested M50 ring road is a major setback for good planning in this country.
It also flies in the face of the board's previously stated explicit opposition to building major commercial schemes alongside motorways.
Last October, the chairman of ABP John O'Connor seemed to signal that the days of building hotels, business parks and retail warehousing at motorway interchanges were numbered. Such schemes were "piggybacking" on new roads with local traffic "weaving on and off over short distances" to get access and running into conflict with long distance traffic. This affected the capacity of roads and raised safety concerns, he declared.
O'Connor specifically cited the M50 as an "extreme example" of piggy-backing commercial developments and said that such schemes would face a "high hurdle" in winning board approval. He added that the board would be taking heed of the National Roads Authority's (NRA) arguments against this type of development.
Perhaps most importantly of all, O'Connor concluded that the huge multibillion euro investment in roads would have to be written off in 10 years unless local authorities stopped granting permission for such schemes.
Fine words indeed, but following last week's decision on Ikea, it's impossible to avoid the conclusion that the board talked the talk on motorway developments, but failed to walk the walk.
Once the NRA, the state agency responsible for our national road network, objected to the Ikea development, a decision to turn down planning permission should have been an absolute no-brainer.
The NRA didn't pull any punches about the proposed superstore and the impact it would have on the M50, already Ireland's busiest motorway. It said the Ballymun store would result in "significant delays and congestion" on the M50 and would "significantly undermine and negate the benefits" of the 1bn upgrade of the ring-road.
The delays and congestion caused by the Ikea development would be "unacceptable on this section of the motorway, which forms part of the most critical artery for traffic distribution around Dublin and which serves as a vital link to Dublin Airport and Dublin Port, " the NRA said, adding that the Ballymun junction of the M50, even after it is upgraded, "will be unable to cater for the predicted future traffic levels."
Given the bluntness of the comments from the one body we should be listening to most of all, that should have been that. Instead permission has been granted, albeit with a whole series of conditions which themselves surely point to serious reservations on behalf of ABP.
You have to question whether a store that isn't being allowed to open until 11am or close before 10pm, for traffic reasons, should be allowed open at all on that particular site? The 11am opening will undoubtedly mean the store won't add to the morning gridlock on the road, but it's the weekend where the real impact of the store on traffic on the M50 is really likely to be felt. Traffic jams on a Saturday and Sunday are already a regular occurrence on the road and the presence of three major shopping centres along the motorway is unquestionably a factor in that. A report commissioned by the Irish Hardware and Building Materials Association claimed that the Ikea store could generate 7,000 to 10,000 extra car trips a day on the motorway at the weekend. Nor should the impact of the extra traffic on Ballymun itself be forgotten.
The other conditions applied are undoubtedly well-meaning, but it's difficult to see what impact they will really have.
How, for example, will a shuttle bus to and from Ballymun help to significantly reduce traffic levels?
The two main arguments put forward by advocates of granting planning permission to Ikea are the numbers of jobs it brings to Ballymun and the downward pressure the increased competition will have on furniture prices. Nobody for a second doubts the amazing work being done in regenerating Ballymun but to focus on the need to bring jobs to the area completely ignores the fact that Ballymun is just three miles from Dublin city centre and well served by public transport. We are not talking about a town in the middle of nowhere, during an economic recession. What next . . . an advance factory for Phibsborough?
There is no question that the arrival in Ireland of Ikea . . . a fine retailer selling at very competitive prices . . . will be welcome news for consumers. But that isn't a reason to abandon good planning principles. In the UK for example, after being refused planning permission by the British government for a new out-oftown shop near Manchester, Ikea announced that it was planning to build smaller, city-centre shops . . . a quarter of the size of the company's usual outlets.
Why couldn't that have happened here?
The real damage, of course, was done in 2004 when the government sacrificed its own well-thought out planning guidelines which had restricted the size of retail warehouses. The government said at the time that the rules were being changed, not to suit one company, but for designated regeneration areas. But, of course, the reality was that it was accommodating Ikea. Given that decision, perhaps it was unfair to expect An Bord Pleanala to restore some faith in our imperfect planning system but that doesn't make last week's decision any less disappointing.
It's hard to shake the feeling that the last chance to save the M50 and Ballymun from further traffic chaos has been lost.
Sunday Tribune
It also flies in the face of the board's previously stated explicit opposition to building major commercial schemes alongside motorways.
Last October, the chairman of ABP John O'Connor seemed to signal that the days of building hotels, business parks and retail warehousing at motorway interchanges were numbered. Such schemes were "piggybacking" on new roads with local traffic "weaving on and off over short distances" to get access and running into conflict with long distance traffic. This affected the capacity of roads and raised safety concerns, he declared.
O'Connor specifically cited the M50 as an "extreme example" of piggy-backing commercial developments and said that such schemes would face a "high hurdle" in winning board approval. He added that the board would be taking heed of the National Roads Authority's (NRA) arguments against this type of development.
Perhaps most importantly of all, O'Connor concluded that the huge multibillion euro investment in roads would have to be written off in 10 years unless local authorities stopped granting permission for such schemes.
Fine words indeed, but following last week's decision on Ikea, it's impossible to avoid the conclusion that the board talked the talk on motorway developments, but failed to walk the walk.
Once the NRA, the state agency responsible for our national road network, objected to the Ikea development, a decision to turn down planning permission should have been an absolute no-brainer.
The NRA didn't pull any punches about the proposed superstore and the impact it would have on the M50, already Ireland's busiest motorway. It said the Ballymun store would result in "significant delays and congestion" on the M50 and would "significantly undermine and negate the benefits" of the 1bn upgrade of the ring-road.
The delays and congestion caused by the Ikea development would be "unacceptable on this section of the motorway, which forms part of the most critical artery for traffic distribution around Dublin and which serves as a vital link to Dublin Airport and Dublin Port, " the NRA said, adding that the Ballymun junction of the M50, even after it is upgraded, "will be unable to cater for the predicted future traffic levels."
Given the bluntness of the comments from the one body we should be listening to most of all, that should have been that. Instead permission has been granted, albeit with a whole series of conditions which themselves surely point to serious reservations on behalf of ABP.
You have to question whether a store that isn't being allowed to open until 11am or close before 10pm, for traffic reasons, should be allowed open at all on that particular site? The 11am opening will undoubtedly mean the store won't add to the morning gridlock on the road, but it's the weekend where the real impact of the store on traffic on the M50 is really likely to be felt. Traffic jams on a Saturday and Sunday are already a regular occurrence on the road and the presence of three major shopping centres along the motorway is unquestionably a factor in that. A report commissioned by the Irish Hardware and Building Materials Association claimed that the Ikea store could generate 7,000 to 10,000 extra car trips a day on the motorway at the weekend. Nor should the impact of the extra traffic on Ballymun itself be forgotten.
The other conditions applied are undoubtedly well-meaning, but it's difficult to see what impact they will really have.
How, for example, will a shuttle bus to and from Ballymun help to significantly reduce traffic levels?
The two main arguments put forward by advocates of granting planning permission to Ikea are the numbers of jobs it brings to Ballymun and the downward pressure the increased competition will have on furniture prices. Nobody for a second doubts the amazing work being done in regenerating Ballymun but to focus on the need to bring jobs to the area completely ignores the fact that Ballymun is just three miles from Dublin city centre and well served by public transport. We are not talking about a town in the middle of nowhere, during an economic recession. What next . . . an advance factory for Phibsborough?
There is no question that the arrival in Ireland of Ikea . . . a fine retailer selling at very competitive prices . . . will be welcome news for consumers. But that isn't a reason to abandon good planning principles. In the UK for example, after being refused planning permission by the British government for a new out-oftown shop near Manchester, Ikea announced that it was planning to build smaller, city-centre shops . . . a quarter of the size of the company's usual outlets.
Why couldn't that have happened here?
The real damage, of course, was done in 2004 when the government sacrificed its own well-thought out planning guidelines which had restricted the size of retail warehouses. The government said at the time that the rules were being changed, not to suit one company, but for designated regeneration areas. But, of course, the reality was that it was accommodating Ikea. Given that decision, perhaps it was unfair to expect An Bord Pleanala to restore some faith in our imperfect planning system but that doesn't make last week's decision any less disappointing.
It's hard to shake the feeling that the last chance to save the M50 and Ballymun from further traffic chaos has been lost.
Sunday Tribune
Property tycoons 'not losing sleep' over 80m interest bill for failed D4 plan
Councillors' rejection of Ballsbridge scheme will cost SeanDunne and his like an enormous amount of money writes Justine McCarthy.But the Dublin 4 developers are in this for the long haul SOME of Ireland's wealthiest property developers could be shelling out 80m-a-year in loan interest payments for landmark sites in Dublin 4 which failed to get the development green light from Dublin City Council last week.
But, according to sources close to a number of the developers, they are not perturbed about the escalating costs, which are running into figures that most mortals could not comprehend.
"I doubt if any of those boys are losing too much sleep over it, " opined another heavyweight developer.
An estimated 1.8bn has been splurged by Sean Dunne, Bernard McNamara and Ray Grehan, among others, on strategic properties in the capital's most desirable postal district. But councillors' rejection of a plan to raise the permissible height of buildings means that the developers' grandiose schemes to reconstruct Ballsbridge must remain on ice indefinitely. The council has said it will not revisit the issue for at least a year.
Dunne, who has plans for a 32-storey tower on the existing Jurys/Berkeley Court/Towers hotel lands, spent 370m acquiring the site as part of his dream to turn the area into Dublin's Knightsbridge. The hotels are due to close for business at the end of the summer.
His interest payments to Ulster Bank, based on a 4.5% fixed lending rate, are reckoned to be between 15m and 18m a year if he borrowed the entire amount. He also paid 130m for the Hume House office block near Jurys, plus 200m for his share of AIB's headquarters opposite the RDS.
While the colourful Tullow native has attracted most attention for his Dublin 4 acquisitions, he is pipped by former Fianna Fail county councillor Bernard McNamara in terms of spending. The latter has gone on a retail therapy spree worth nearly 900m, pushing the going rate for land in the area up to 60m per acre. His purchases include the Burlington Hotel ( 288m), the Allianz building ( 100m) and the Irish Glass Bottle site ( 412m).
Another developer, Ray Grehan, bought the former UCD Veterinary College for 171m and David Daly of Albany Homes spent 25m on Franklin House, an office block. Between them, the developers have spent more on buying up Ballsbridge than the total value realised from SSIA accounts in credit unions throughout the country.
Some of the borrowings are likely to have a no-payment period built into the agreement, on the basis that construction cannot begin until the planners amend the height restrictions; something generally regarded as inevitable.
Though the bill for their shopping spree equals 7% of the national debt, they are prepared to engage in a who-blinks-first contest with the planners, not sending in the wrecker's ball until their demands for taller buildings in Ballsbridge are conceded. A minimum of 20 storeys is considered the bare essential if the developers are to mine a profit from their investments.
Any fears that the growing financial pressure of having to sit out the stalemate might damage the national economy are dismissed by economists and other developers. One pointed out that Dunne's 370m price tag for the hotels represents only 1.5% of Irish banks' total lending for real estate.
"I think this will be an annoyance to them but nothing that wasn't expected, " said Paul Murgatroyd, economist with Douglas Newman Good estate agents. "I don't think any of them realistically expected to be on site within three years. They didn't buy the sites with their eyes shut. They knew the existing 12-storey ceiling was there and that they were going to have to win over the residents and the council."
A property developer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I wouldn't see any of them going bust. You're talking about five or six acres.
So what, in the overall context of the market?
Down along the docklands in Dublin, there are hundreds of acres being developed with land fetching 25m-an-acre. Development is a long-term game.
When you look at a scheme like Dunne's in Ballsbridge, you're talking about a five or 10-year job.
They're pretty solid people. They all have plenty of money and plenty of assets."
Sunday Tribune
But, according to sources close to a number of the developers, they are not perturbed about the escalating costs, which are running into figures that most mortals could not comprehend.
"I doubt if any of those boys are losing too much sleep over it, " opined another heavyweight developer.
An estimated 1.8bn has been splurged by Sean Dunne, Bernard McNamara and Ray Grehan, among others, on strategic properties in the capital's most desirable postal district. But councillors' rejection of a plan to raise the permissible height of buildings means that the developers' grandiose schemes to reconstruct Ballsbridge must remain on ice indefinitely. The council has said it will not revisit the issue for at least a year.
Dunne, who has plans for a 32-storey tower on the existing Jurys/Berkeley Court/Towers hotel lands, spent 370m acquiring the site as part of his dream to turn the area into Dublin's Knightsbridge. The hotels are due to close for business at the end of the summer.
His interest payments to Ulster Bank, based on a 4.5% fixed lending rate, are reckoned to be between 15m and 18m a year if he borrowed the entire amount. He also paid 130m for the Hume House office block near Jurys, plus 200m for his share of AIB's headquarters opposite the RDS.
While the colourful Tullow native has attracted most attention for his Dublin 4 acquisitions, he is pipped by former Fianna Fail county councillor Bernard McNamara in terms of spending. The latter has gone on a retail therapy spree worth nearly 900m, pushing the going rate for land in the area up to 60m per acre. His purchases include the Burlington Hotel ( 288m), the Allianz building ( 100m) and the Irish Glass Bottle site ( 412m).
Another developer, Ray Grehan, bought the former UCD Veterinary College for 171m and David Daly of Albany Homes spent 25m on Franklin House, an office block. Between them, the developers have spent more on buying up Ballsbridge than the total value realised from SSIA accounts in credit unions throughout the country.
Some of the borrowings are likely to have a no-payment period built into the agreement, on the basis that construction cannot begin until the planners amend the height restrictions; something generally regarded as inevitable.
Though the bill for their shopping spree equals 7% of the national debt, they are prepared to engage in a who-blinks-first contest with the planners, not sending in the wrecker's ball until their demands for taller buildings in Ballsbridge are conceded. A minimum of 20 storeys is considered the bare essential if the developers are to mine a profit from their investments.
Any fears that the growing financial pressure of having to sit out the stalemate might damage the national economy are dismissed by economists and other developers. One pointed out that Dunne's 370m price tag for the hotels represents only 1.5% of Irish banks' total lending for real estate.
"I think this will be an annoyance to them but nothing that wasn't expected, " said Paul Murgatroyd, economist with Douglas Newman Good estate agents. "I don't think any of them realistically expected to be on site within three years. They didn't buy the sites with their eyes shut. They knew the existing 12-storey ceiling was there and that they were going to have to win over the residents and the council."
A property developer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I wouldn't see any of them going bust. You're talking about five or six acres.
So what, in the overall context of the market?
Down along the docklands in Dublin, there are hundreds of acres being developed with land fetching 25m-an-acre. Development is a long-term game.
When you look at a scheme like Dunne's in Ballsbridge, you're talking about a five or 10-year job.
They're pretty solid people. They all have plenty of money and plenty of assets."
Sunday Tribune
Sleeveen Roche shows Greens what FF really thinks of them
HOW much longer must we put up with this awful government? If you wanted an early insight into how the Fianna Fail/Green arrangement will work in cabinet, into the value and meas FF puts upon its new coalition partners, Dick Roche's decision to sign off on the destruction of the newlydiscovered national monument near the Hill of Tara would have given you everything you needed. Roche's decision was made about 24 hours before he was sacked from government . . . his pomposity and arrogance having become too much even for Bertie Ahern . . . and as the Green Party was debating whether or not it should enter government.
Before Wednesday night, in the days when the Greens had core values and beliefs, the rerouting of the M3 motorway away from Tara was a bit of an issue for members of the party. Their abandonment of that principle was one of the more shameless surrenders made in the rush to government; the last thing they needed, particularly so early in their new existence, was a reminder of how blatantly their TDs had fled from previously held positions. But on Thursday night, as John Gormley weighed up his new cabinet position against the sell-outs needed to achieve it, RTE began reporting that Roche, in one of his last acts as minister, had approved the destruction of the monument, a decision which makes inevitable the building of the M3 through the TaraSkryne valley. (It also, incidentally, comes as terrific news to the several Fianna Failsupporting landowners in the area, who will benefit hugely from the trade, commerce and development that will accompany the motorway. Pure coincidence, of course. ) Roche implied that his decision was an act of courtesy to his successor, who turned out to be Gormley. To have left it to him would have been passing the buck, Roche said during possibly the softest political interview carried out on RTE all year, on Tom McGurk's radio show on Friday. It was the comment of a sleveen, as his decision the previous day had been the act of a sleeveen. But it did come with some value attached. It demonstrated what Fianna Fail really thinks of Green issues and of the Greens, who are in government purely to make up the numbers and to implement Fianna Fail policy on the environment, in so far as that exists.
Since it became clear that the Greens would be going into coalition, and that the programme for government was little more than a recycled version of Fianna Fail commitments, a genetically modified copy of its election manifesto, many people have wondered just what it was that the party's TDs expected to achieve by this "dance with the devil" (copyright Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party TD for Dun Laoghaire).
One oft-expressed opinion was that they were interested purely in "Mercs and perks", as the cliche has it. This seems unfair, if only because the two ministers involved seem to have eschewed the use of Mercs and the perks won't amount to much more than being regularly savaged by the opposition.
Rather, the decision to enter coalition with no significant concessions from Fianna Fail, and having abandoned several core principles, appears to have been based on a kind of missionary zeal, commonly found in people who believe they know how to save the world. Although Fianna Fail has remained to a great degree unchangeable, and its leader is the second dodgiest Taoiseach in history . . . blocked from the top position only by the singular venality of Charles Haughey . . . the Greens seem to believe they can succeed where Labour and the PDs failed in the past and civilise their new coalition partner. As Dick Roche proved on Thursday, that is not possible. FF will not be guided or influenced by the desires of its government partner, except where those desires coincide with Fianna Fail policy.
The problem with adopting this kind of missionary position with Fianna Fail, as Labour and the PDs have discovered in the past, is that you tend to get a terrible going over rather than a good seeing to. Labour lost 16 seats in the 1997 election after doing a deal with Fianna Fail in 1992; in the election just gone, the PDs went from eight to two seats. It's true that the PDs did very well in 2002 after five years of government with Fianna Fail but that was mainly because Michael McDowell made a specific promise to the electorate, when he climbed up the pole in Ranelagh, to act as a watchdog in government.
The Greens, with no interest in being watchdogs, are now in grave danger of going the way of the PDs. Try as they might to spin it, the programme for government offers nothing of any significance to supporters of Green issues. It is all vague aspiration, a bible of buts and maybes. As Pat Rabbitte pointed out in the Dail on Thursday, the programme is often a Green-free zone. "The word 'review' appears in the document 56 times, " he said, "the word 'examine' appears 23 times and the term 'consider' makes 14 appearances." Specifics are rare.
For that kind of waffle, the Greens abandoned not just their core beliefs but their voters as well. In no constituency in the country did Green voters show any interest in Fianna Fail, transferring to them in only about 9% of cases. In Dublin Central, for example, 1,077 of Patricia McKenna's transfers went to FG or Labour candidates while 179 went to Fianna Fail. In Galway West, 3,279 of Niall O Brolchain's votes went to Fine Gael and Labour while 408 went to Fianna Fail. After Dan Boyle . . . subsequently one of the Green government negotiators who were played for fools by Fianna Fail . . . was eliminated in Cork South Central, 5,197 of his transfers were hoovered up by Rainbow candidates while Fianna Fail won 619. All over Ireland, the pattern was the same.
Some of these voters voted for the Greens because they are interested in Green issues, and many will be appalled at how little that is specifically Green appeared in the programme for government.
Some of them voted for the Greens because they didn't want to see Fianna Fail in power and didn't quite believe Labour Party assurances that they wouldn't do a deal with Ahern. How stupid those people must feel now. And how angry. We will have to wait a few years to see if that anger lasts.
Sunday Tribune
Before Wednesday night, in the days when the Greens had core values and beliefs, the rerouting of the M3 motorway away from Tara was a bit of an issue for members of the party. Their abandonment of that principle was one of the more shameless surrenders made in the rush to government; the last thing they needed, particularly so early in their new existence, was a reminder of how blatantly their TDs had fled from previously held positions. But on Thursday night, as John Gormley weighed up his new cabinet position against the sell-outs needed to achieve it, RTE began reporting that Roche, in one of his last acts as minister, had approved the destruction of the monument, a decision which makes inevitable the building of the M3 through the TaraSkryne valley. (It also, incidentally, comes as terrific news to the several Fianna Failsupporting landowners in the area, who will benefit hugely from the trade, commerce and development that will accompany the motorway. Pure coincidence, of course. ) Roche implied that his decision was an act of courtesy to his successor, who turned out to be Gormley. To have left it to him would have been passing the buck, Roche said during possibly the softest political interview carried out on RTE all year, on Tom McGurk's radio show on Friday. It was the comment of a sleveen, as his decision the previous day had been the act of a sleeveen. But it did come with some value attached. It demonstrated what Fianna Fail really thinks of Green issues and of the Greens, who are in government purely to make up the numbers and to implement Fianna Fail policy on the environment, in so far as that exists.
Since it became clear that the Greens would be going into coalition, and that the programme for government was little more than a recycled version of Fianna Fail commitments, a genetically modified copy of its election manifesto, many people have wondered just what it was that the party's TDs expected to achieve by this "dance with the devil" (copyright Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party TD for Dun Laoghaire).
One oft-expressed opinion was that they were interested purely in "Mercs and perks", as the cliche has it. This seems unfair, if only because the two ministers involved seem to have eschewed the use of Mercs and the perks won't amount to much more than being regularly savaged by the opposition.
Rather, the decision to enter coalition with no significant concessions from Fianna Fail, and having abandoned several core principles, appears to have been based on a kind of missionary zeal, commonly found in people who believe they know how to save the world. Although Fianna Fail has remained to a great degree unchangeable, and its leader is the second dodgiest Taoiseach in history . . . blocked from the top position only by the singular venality of Charles Haughey . . . the Greens seem to believe they can succeed where Labour and the PDs failed in the past and civilise their new coalition partner. As Dick Roche proved on Thursday, that is not possible. FF will not be guided or influenced by the desires of its government partner, except where those desires coincide with Fianna Fail policy.
The problem with adopting this kind of missionary position with Fianna Fail, as Labour and the PDs have discovered in the past, is that you tend to get a terrible going over rather than a good seeing to. Labour lost 16 seats in the 1997 election after doing a deal with Fianna Fail in 1992; in the election just gone, the PDs went from eight to two seats. It's true that the PDs did very well in 2002 after five years of government with Fianna Fail but that was mainly because Michael McDowell made a specific promise to the electorate, when he climbed up the pole in Ranelagh, to act as a watchdog in government.
The Greens, with no interest in being watchdogs, are now in grave danger of going the way of the PDs. Try as they might to spin it, the programme for government offers nothing of any significance to supporters of Green issues. It is all vague aspiration, a bible of buts and maybes. As Pat Rabbitte pointed out in the Dail on Thursday, the programme is often a Green-free zone. "The word 'review' appears in the document 56 times, " he said, "the word 'examine' appears 23 times and the term 'consider' makes 14 appearances." Specifics are rare.
For that kind of waffle, the Greens abandoned not just their core beliefs but their voters as well. In no constituency in the country did Green voters show any interest in Fianna Fail, transferring to them in only about 9% of cases. In Dublin Central, for example, 1,077 of Patricia McKenna's transfers went to FG or Labour candidates while 179 went to Fianna Fail. In Galway West, 3,279 of Niall O Brolchain's votes went to Fine Gael and Labour while 408 went to Fianna Fail. After Dan Boyle . . . subsequently one of the Green government negotiators who were played for fools by Fianna Fail . . . was eliminated in Cork South Central, 5,197 of his transfers were hoovered up by Rainbow candidates while Fianna Fail won 619. All over Ireland, the pattern was the same.
Some of these voters voted for the Greens because they are interested in Green issues, and many will be appalled at how little that is specifically Green appeared in the programme for government.
Some of them voted for the Greens because they didn't want to see Fianna Fail in power and didn't quite believe Labour Party assurances that they wouldn't do a deal with Ahern. How stupid those people must feel now. And how angry. We will have to wait a few years to see if that anger lasts.
Sunday Tribune
Scientists warn that oil will start to run out in four years' time
Just read this article from last weeks's Independent ...
Scientists have criticised a major review of the world's remaining oil reserves, warning that the end of oil is coming sooner than governments and oil companies are prepared to admit.
BP's Statistical Review of World Energy, published yesterday, appears to show that the world still has enough "proven" reserves to provide 40 years of consumption at current rates. The assessment, based on officially reported figures, has once again pushed back the estimate of when the world will run dry.
However, scientists led by the London-based Oil Depletion Analysis Centre, say that global production of oil is set to peak in the next four years before entering a steepening decline which will have massive consequences for the world economy and the way that we live our lives.
According to "peak oil" theory our consumption of oil will catch, then outstrip our discovery of new reserves and we will begin to deplete known reserves.
Colin Campbell, the head of the depletion centre, said: "It's quite a simple theory and one that any beer drinker understands. The glass starts full and ends empty and the faster you drink it the quicker it's gone."
Dr Campbell, is a former chief geologist and vice-president at a string of oil majors including BP, Shell, Fina, Exxon and ChevronTexaco. He explains that the peak of regular oil - the cheap and easy to extract stuff - has already come and gone in 2005. Even when you factor in the more difficult to extract heavy oil, deep sea reserves, polar regions and liquid taken from gas, the peak will come as soon as 2011, he says.
This scenario is flatly denied by BP, whose chief economist Peter Davies has dismissed the arguments of "peak oil" theorists.
"We don't believe there is an absolute resource constraint. When peak oil comes, it is just as likely to come from consumption peaking, perhaps because of climate change policies as from production peaking."
In recent years the once-considerable gap between demand and supply has narrowed. Last year that gap all but disappeared. The consequences of a shortfall would be immense. If consumption begins to exceed production by even the smallest amount, the price of oil could soar above $100 a barrel. A global recession would follow.
Jeremy Legget, like Dr Campbell, is a geologist-turned conservationist whose book Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis brought " peak oil" theory to a wider audience. He compares industry and government reluctance to face up to the impending end of oil, to climate change denial.
"It reminds me of the way no one would listen for years to scientists warning about global warming," he says. "We were predicting things pretty much exactly as they have played out. Then as now we were wondering what it would take to get people to listen."
In 1999, Britain's oil reserves in the North Sea peaked, but for two years after this became apparent, Mr Leggert claims, it was heresy for anyone in official circles to say so. "Not meeting demand is not an option. In fact, it is an act of treason," he says.
One thing most oil analysts agree on is that depletion of oil fields follows a predictable bell curve. This has not changed since the Shell geologist M King Hubbert made a mathematical model in 1956 to predict what would happen to US petroleum production. The Hubbert Curveshows that at the beginning production from any oil field rises sharply, then reaches a plateau before falling into a terminal decline. His prediction that US production would peak in 1969 was ridiculed by those who claimed it could increase indefinitely. In the event it peaked in 1970 and has been in decline ever since.
In the 1970s Chris Skrebowski was a long-term planner for BP. Today he edits the Petroleum Review and is one of a growing number of industry insiders converting to peak theory. "I was extremely sceptical to start with," he now admits. "We have enough capacity coming online for the next two-and-a-half years. After that the situation deteriorates."
What no one, not even BP, disagrees with is that demand is surging. The rapid growth of China and India matched with the developed world's dependence on oil, mean that a lot more oil will have to come from somewhere. BP's review shows that world demand for oil has grown faster in the past five years than in the second half of the 1990s. Today we consume an average of 85 million barrels daily. According to the most conservative estimates from the International Energy Agency that figure will rise to 113 million barrels by 2030.
Two-thirds of the world's oil reserves lie in the Middle East and increasing demand will have to be met with massive increases in supply from this region.
BP's Statistical Review is the most widely used estimate of world oil reserves but as Dr Campbell points out it is only a summary of highly political estimates supplied by governments and oil companies.
As Dr Campbell explains: "When I was the boss of an oil company I would never tell the truth. It's not part of the game."
A survey of the four countries with the biggest reported reserves - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait - reveals major concerns. In Kuwait last year, a journalist found documents suggesting the country's real reserves were half of what was reported. Iran this year became the first major oil producer to introduce oil rationing - an indication of the administration's view on which way oil reserves are going.
Sadad al-Huseini knows more about Saudi Arabia's oil reserves than perhaps anyone else. He retired as chief executive of the kingdom's oil corporation two years ago, and his view on how much Saudi production can be increased is sobering. "The problem is that you go from 79 million barrels a day in 2002 to 84.5 million in 2004. You're leaping by two to three million [barrels a day]" each year, he told The New York Times. "That's like a whole new Saudi Arabia every couple of years. It can't be done indefinitely."
The importance of black gold
* A reduction of as little as 10 to 15 per cent could cripple oil-dependent industrial economies. In the 1970s, a reduction of just 5 per cent caused a price increase of more than 400 per cent.
* Most farming equipment is either built in oil-powered plants or uses diesel as fuel. Nearly all pesticides and many fertilisers are made from oil.
* Most plastics, used in everything from computers and mobile phones to pipelines, clothing and carpets, are made from oil-based substances.
* Manufacturing requires huge amounts of fossil fuels. The construction of a single car in the US requires, on average, at least 20 barrels of oil.
* Most renewable energy equipment requires large amounts of oil to produce.
* Metal production - particularly aluminium - cosmetics, hair dye, ink and many common painkillers all rely on oil.
Alternative sources of power
Coal
There are still an estimated 909 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide, enough to last at least 155 years. But coal is a fossil fuel and a dirty energy source that will only add to global warming.
Natural gas
The natural gas fields in Siberia, Alaska and the Middle East should last 20 years longer than the world's oil reserves but, although cleaner than oil, natural gas is still a fossil fuel that emits pollutants. It is also expensive to extract and transport as it has to be liquefied.
Hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells would provide us with a permanent, renewable, clean energy source as they combine hydrogen and oxygen chemically to produce electricity, water and heat. The difficulty, however, is that there isn't enough hydrogen to go round and the few clean ways of producing it are expensive.
Biofuels
Ethanol from corn and maize has become a popular alternative to oil. However, studies suggest ethanol production has a negative effect on energy investment and the environment because of the space required to grow what we need.
Renewable energy
Oil-dependent nations are turning to renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric, solar and wind power to provide an alternative to oil but the likelihood of renewable sources providing enough energy is slim.
Nuclear
Fears of the world's uranium supply running out have been allayed by improved reactors and the possibility of using thorium as a nuclear fuel. But an increase in the number of reactors across the globe would increase the chance of a disaster and the risk of dangerous substances getting into the hands of terrorists.
Irish Independent
Scientists have criticised a major review of the world's remaining oil reserves, warning that the end of oil is coming sooner than governments and oil companies are prepared to admit.
BP's Statistical Review of World Energy, published yesterday, appears to show that the world still has enough "proven" reserves to provide 40 years of consumption at current rates. The assessment, based on officially reported figures, has once again pushed back the estimate of when the world will run dry.
However, scientists led by the London-based Oil Depletion Analysis Centre, say that global production of oil is set to peak in the next four years before entering a steepening decline which will have massive consequences for the world economy and the way that we live our lives.
According to "peak oil" theory our consumption of oil will catch, then outstrip our discovery of new reserves and we will begin to deplete known reserves.
Colin Campbell, the head of the depletion centre, said: "It's quite a simple theory and one that any beer drinker understands. The glass starts full and ends empty and the faster you drink it the quicker it's gone."
Dr Campbell, is a former chief geologist and vice-president at a string of oil majors including BP, Shell, Fina, Exxon and ChevronTexaco. He explains that the peak of regular oil - the cheap and easy to extract stuff - has already come and gone in 2005. Even when you factor in the more difficult to extract heavy oil, deep sea reserves, polar regions and liquid taken from gas, the peak will come as soon as 2011, he says.
This scenario is flatly denied by BP, whose chief economist Peter Davies has dismissed the arguments of "peak oil" theorists.
"We don't believe there is an absolute resource constraint. When peak oil comes, it is just as likely to come from consumption peaking, perhaps because of climate change policies as from production peaking."
In recent years the once-considerable gap between demand and supply has narrowed. Last year that gap all but disappeared. The consequences of a shortfall would be immense. If consumption begins to exceed production by even the smallest amount, the price of oil could soar above $100 a barrel. A global recession would follow.
Jeremy Legget, like Dr Campbell, is a geologist-turned conservationist whose book Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis brought " peak oil" theory to a wider audience. He compares industry and government reluctance to face up to the impending end of oil, to climate change denial.
"It reminds me of the way no one would listen for years to scientists warning about global warming," he says. "We were predicting things pretty much exactly as they have played out. Then as now we were wondering what it would take to get people to listen."
In 1999, Britain's oil reserves in the North Sea peaked, but for two years after this became apparent, Mr Leggert claims, it was heresy for anyone in official circles to say so. "Not meeting demand is not an option. In fact, it is an act of treason," he says.
One thing most oil analysts agree on is that depletion of oil fields follows a predictable bell curve. This has not changed since the Shell geologist M King Hubbert made a mathematical model in 1956 to predict what would happen to US petroleum production. The Hubbert Curveshows that at the beginning production from any oil field rises sharply, then reaches a plateau before falling into a terminal decline. His prediction that US production would peak in 1969 was ridiculed by those who claimed it could increase indefinitely. In the event it peaked in 1970 and has been in decline ever since.
In the 1970s Chris Skrebowski was a long-term planner for BP. Today he edits the Petroleum Review and is one of a growing number of industry insiders converting to peak theory. "I was extremely sceptical to start with," he now admits. "We have enough capacity coming online for the next two-and-a-half years. After that the situation deteriorates."
What no one, not even BP, disagrees with is that demand is surging. The rapid growth of China and India matched with the developed world's dependence on oil, mean that a lot more oil will have to come from somewhere. BP's review shows that world demand for oil has grown faster in the past five years than in the second half of the 1990s. Today we consume an average of 85 million barrels daily. According to the most conservative estimates from the International Energy Agency that figure will rise to 113 million barrels by 2030.
Two-thirds of the world's oil reserves lie in the Middle East and increasing demand will have to be met with massive increases in supply from this region.
BP's Statistical Review is the most widely used estimate of world oil reserves but as Dr Campbell points out it is only a summary of highly political estimates supplied by governments and oil companies.
As Dr Campbell explains: "When I was the boss of an oil company I would never tell the truth. It's not part of the game."
A survey of the four countries with the biggest reported reserves - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait - reveals major concerns. In Kuwait last year, a journalist found documents suggesting the country's real reserves were half of what was reported. Iran this year became the first major oil producer to introduce oil rationing - an indication of the administration's view on which way oil reserves are going.
Sadad al-Huseini knows more about Saudi Arabia's oil reserves than perhaps anyone else. He retired as chief executive of the kingdom's oil corporation two years ago, and his view on how much Saudi production can be increased is sobering. "The problem is that you go from 79 million barrels a day in 2002 to 84.5 million in 2004. You're leaping by two to three million [barrels a day]" each year, he told The New York Times. "That's like a whole new Saudi Arabia every couple of years. It can't be done indefinitely."
The importance of black gold
* A reduction of as little as 10 to 15 per cent could cripple oil-dependent industrial economies. In the 1970s, a reduction of just 5 per cent caused a price increase of more than 400 per cent.
* Most farming equipment is either built in oil-powered plants or uses diesel as fuel. Nearly all pesticides and many fertilisers are made from oil.
* Most plastics, used in everything from computers and mobile phones to pipelines, clothing and carpets, are made from oil-based substances.
* Manufacturing requires huge amounts of fossil fuels. The construction of a single car in the US requires, on average, at least 20 barrels of oil.
* Most renewable energy equipment requires large amounts of oil to produce.
* Metal production - particularly aluminium - cosmetics, hair dye, ink and many common painkillers all rely on oil.
Alternative sources of power
Coal
There are still an estimated 909 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide, enough to last at least 155 years. But coal is a fossil fuel and a dirty energy source that will only add to global warming.
Natural gas
The natural gas fields in Siberia, Alaska and the Middle East should last 20 years longer than the world's oil reserves but, although cleaner than oil, natural gas is still a fossil fuel that emits pollutants. It is also expensive to extract and transport as it has to be liquefied.
Hydrogen fuel cells
Hydrogen fuel cells would provide us with a permanent, renewable, clean energy source as they combine hydrogen and oxygen chemically to produce electricity, water and heat. The difficulty, however, is that there isn't enough hydrogen to go round and the few clean ways of producing it are expensive.
Biofuels
Ethanol from corn and maize has become a popular alternative to oil. However, studies suggest ethanol production has a negative effect on energy investment and the environment because of the space required to grow what we need.
Renewable energy
Oil-dependent nations are turning to renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric, solar and wind power to provide an alternative to oil but the likelihood of renewable sources providing enough energy is slim.
Nuclear
Fears of the world's uranium supply running out have been allayed by improved reactors and the possibility of using thorium as a nuclear fuel. But an increase in the number of reactors across the globe would increase the chance of a disaster and the risk of dangerous substances getting into the hands of terrorists.
Irish Independent
Tara protester held after bid to halt builders' work on prehistoric site
A PROTESTER was arrested near the national monument on the route of the M3 yesterday as a campaign to halt construction of the controversial motorway stepped up a gear.
A man was arrested at Collierstown but later released after caution after he and a group of campaigners attempted to stop construction crews from entering the site.
Eurolink, the company building the M3, asked protesters not to interfere with building workers or equipment due to health and safety concerns.
"Our contractors are working to a very tight schedule and it is essential that they be allowed to carry out the work for which we have legal permission, without interruption from protesters who are not protesting lawfully," Enda Tyrrell from Eurolink said.
"We are very concerned that protesters are endangering themselves and our workers by trespassing on our site. Illegal protests cannot be allowed to continue, in the interest of all involved."
The TaraWatch campaign called on Environment Minister John Gormley to place a preservation order on the entire Tara/Skryne Valley because the area was under threat of immediate destruction.
Advice
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said legal advice suggested the entire Tara complex was a national monument and there was "nothing" in the National Monuments Act which would prevent Mr Gormley from placing a preservation order on the valley.
"We are asking Minister Gormley to do the same thing that Minister Roche did to 16 Moore Street - declare the entire site a national monument."
Mr Gormley's tenure as minister got off to a shaky start after it emerged that his predecessor, Dick Roche, had ordered that the M3 be built over the national monument found last month.
Yesterday, Mr Gormley said he was powerless to change the order, but the Labour Party claimed it was within his power to do so under the Interpretation Act 2005.
"The minister has the power to make an order under the act but he also has the power to revoke it," environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said.
"We're asking him to seek legal advice from the attorney general. What needs to happen is the new minister needs to get on top of this. This is no ordinary site, it's a huge issue involving the country's heritage. This is a big one, and he has to act quickly."
The Campaign to Save Tara plans to "lock down" the Lismullin site over the coming weeks, and has vowed not to allow construction workers or archaeologists near the monument.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
A man was arrested at Collierstown but later released after caution after he and a group of campaigners attempted to stop construction crews from entering the site.
Eurolink, the company building the M3, asked protesters not to interfere with building workers or equipment due to health and safety concerns.
"Our contractors are working to a very tight schedule and it is essential that they be allowed to carry out the work for which we have legal permission, without interruption from protesters who are not protesting lawfully," Enda Tyrrell from Eurolink said.
"We are very concerned that protesters are endangering themselves and our workers by trespassing on our site. Illegal protests cannot be allowed to continue, in the interest of all involved."
The TaraWatch campaign called on Environment Minister John Gormley to place a preservation order on the entire Tara/Skryne Valley because the area was under threat of immediate destruction.
Advice
Spokesman Vincent Salafia said legal advice suggested the entire Tara complex was a national monument and there was "nothing" in the National Monuments Act which would prevent Mr Gormley from placing a preservation order on the valley.
"We are asking Minister Gormley to do the same thing that Minister Roche did to 16 Moore Street - declare the entire site a national monument."
Mr Gormley's tenure as minister got off to a shaky start after it emerged that his predecessor, Dick Roche, had ordered that the M3 be built over the national monument found last month.
Yesterday, Mr Gormley said he was powerless to change the order, but the Labour Party claimed it was within his power to do so under the Interpretation Act 2005.
"The minister has the power to make an order under the act but he also has the power to revoke it," environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said.
"We're asking him to seek legal advice from the attorney general. What needs to happen is the new minister needs to get on top of this. This is no ordinary site, it's a huge issue involving the country's heritage. This is a big one, and he has to act quickly."
The Campaign to Save Tara plans to "lock down" the Lismullin site over the coming weeks, and has vowed not to allow construction workers or archaeologists near the monument.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Roche: I did Greens a favour by opting for M3
THREE weeks of rain would have completely washed away what remains of the Stone Age wooden 'henge' recently discovered in Meath, archaeological experts told former Environment Minister Dick Roche before he made his decision to build the M3 motorway over the monument.
In his controversial last act as minister, Mr Roche opted to continue work on the Meath M3 motorway after consulting with experts. Mr Roche decided to accept the recommendation that the new National Monument found at Lismullen should be preserved 'by record' - in other words, studied in detail and then the motorway will be built as scheduled.
A source close to the Minister suggested that there was nothing left to preserve at the Lismullen site but "a few holes in the ground".
"The site is on exceptionally sandy soil and would be washed away completely within weeks," he said.
The new Green Minister for Environment, John Gormley, has conceded that he could not revoke Mr Roche's order.
Mr Roche claimed he had done Mr Gormley a favour. "Any minister sitting in my office in the Custom House looking at that file and having to make a decision would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck," he said.
Sunday Independent
In his controversial last act as minister, Mr Roche opted to continue work on the Meath M3 motorway after consulting with experts. Mr Roche decided to accept the recommendation that the new National Monument found at Lismullen should be preserved 'by record' - in other words, studied in detail and then the motorway will be built as scheduled.
A source close to the Minister suggested that there was nothing left to preserve at the Lismullen site but "a few holes in the ground".
"The site is on exceptionally sandy soil and would be washed away completely within weeks," he said.
The new Green Minister for Environment, John Gormley, has conceded that he could not revoke Mr Roche's order.
Mr Roche claimed he had done Mr Gormley a favour. "Any minister sitting in my office in the Custom House looking at that file and having to make a decision would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck," he said.
Sunday Independent
Squire Dunne's precarious €510m
SQUIRE, Baron, Lord - three titles unofficially bestowed on Sean Dunne by the media two years ago when he annexed eight precious acres of Ballsbridge, at the heart of Dublin's embassy belt. That it cost the Carlow-born developer €380m to secure the sites of the Jury's and Berkeley Court hotels, and a further €130m to clinch nearby Hume House, only added to the shock and awe with which his gambit was greeted at the peak of the property boom.
Two years later, those who paid tribute to the 'Dunner' in the media and beyond are still watching, and waiting to see what he will do to realise his stated ambition of bringing Knightsbridge to Dublin 4. A 32-storey Trump Tower-style building with its own penthouse and 24-7 concierge service was to have been the centrepiece amidst a ribbon of luxurious 20-storey apartment blocks housing the newly-moneyed classes.
But Dunne's dream of reproducing London's Sloane Square or New York's Central Park West in Dublin was knocked back last week by the harsh realities of local government and local opposition.
With Dublin City councillors roundly rejecting high-rise development for Ballsbridge, Dunne has been forced back to the proverbial drawing board in an effort to appease officialdom, while still trying to turn a profit.
It will be a masterful feat if he can manage it. Simple arithmetic appears to be against him. Lower building heights will mean fewer apartment units. With fewer apartments to put on the market, Dunne will be forced to set the prices higher to maximise his return, and offset the cost of buying the site in the first place.
The law of supply and demand would suggest that with fewer apartments on offer, affluent buyers would be willing to pay more for a slice of a more exclusive pie. But this premise cannot be applied - for now at least - given the current jitters in the residential property market.
With prospective buyers looking for, and increasingly achieving, better value, it doesn't take a high-flying economist, or even a developer flying by the seat of his pants to suggest that the 'For Sale' signs could become more than a temporary fixture on Dunne's dream homes.
Compounding his difficulties in Dublin 4 is the restrictive covenant he entered into with the Doyle family when he bought out the two jewels in the hotel empire built by their late father, PV Doyle. As part of the deal to secure the Jury's and Berkeley Court sites, Dunne agreed that he would not develop another hotel there at any time in the future.
While the covenant might have made sense in 2005, it no longer does. Had Dunne the option of hotel development, he could have looked to replicate the model of the nearby Four Seasons Hotel, which has its own permanent penthouse residences.
While such a model might sound unusual, it has already proved attractive to at least one well-known Ballsbridge resident. Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds is in the process of selling his palatial house on Ailesbury Road, worth €15m, with a view to taking up residence in one of the Four Seasons penthouse apartments, which cost €5m. From his new vantage point in his five-star eyrie, Mr Reynolds will soon have a bird's-eye view of another millstone around Sean Dunne's neck.
In another bold move, last July, Dunne entered into a €378m deal with Hibernian Life & Pensions to buy four blocks of AIB headquarters in Ballsbridge, as well as an adjoining four acres.
Dunne's contribution to the sale and leaseback transaction, which came to an incredible €200m, was not without difficulties, coming as it did six weeks after the initial deadline for payment.
Having first paid a deposit of €20m in April for the land, Dunne was served with a completion notice by AIB when the deal was not concluded by the end of May. A further deadline passed at the end of June with no sign of the remaining €180m being paid.
Dunne held his nerve, delivering the cash a week after he closed another deal, to sell his 50 per cent stake in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge to Warren Private Clients for just under €200m.
The deal with Warren came with its own problems, and only proceeded after an eight-day battle in the High Court. Dunne had wanted to back out of the transaction, and took Warren to court claiming that an earlier agreement to sell the Whitewater site for €37.5m had been conditional on another development agreement that had never been signed.
Ultimately, the court case was settled, with Warren agreeing to pay €197m for the Newbridge site and development works, with a further €20m in 18 months depending on rental increases.
Dunne might be keen to extract that €20m now, given the estimated annual interest bill of €11m being speculated upon by financial analysts in relation to his estimated €170m borrowings on the Jury's and Berkeley Court sites.
At the very least, he must be wondering if it was wise to set his bid for the Jury's site tender at €275m, based solely on the whimsy of his glamorous socialite wife, former journalist Gayle Killilea.
The story of how Dunne asked his wife - a one-time Sunday Independent columnist - to pick a number between €253m and €275m when deciding on his finaloffer for the Dublin 4 land could well go down in history as the defining image of a Celtic Tiger oblivious to its own mortality.
To be fair to Gayle, she was said to be unaware that her choice of '75 (the year of her birth) related in any way to the Jury's deal, and opted for the higher number, believing it to be lucky.
When her husband secured the glittering prize, he must have believed his luck was in too. Among the bidders he beat were Joe O'Reilly's Castlethorn Construction; Galway-based Frank O'Malley of O'Malley Construction; Glencairn Development Company; Neville Brothers; Treasury Holdings; McNamara Development Company and Park Developments. Dunne's neighbour on Shrewsbury Road, millionaire hotel operator Paddy Kelly also submitted an unsuccessful bid of €273m - just €2m shy of the winning figure.
But Dunne's prize wasn't achieved through good fortune alone. To have his bid accepted by the Jury's Doyle Group, Dunne was forced to engage in an aggressive purchase of their shares.
When the Precinct Consortium, comprising businessman Bryan Cullen, David Coleman and JJ Murphy, entered the fray with the backing of the billionaire Reuben brothers, Dunne immediately sensed the danger of a potential takeover of the Jury's Doyle Group, which could have scuppered his purchase of the Jury's site altogether.
The Precinct Consortium put together a due diligence report on the company and looked set to offer €1.1bn for it, or €17.50 per share.
To counter this, Dunne was forced to buy up a substantial 29 per cent of the Jury's Doyle shares in four separate tranches to block any takeover of the company in advance of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) called to approve the land sale.
However, with the deal approved, Dunne's appetite for the company's shares didn't recede. Within weeks, speculation was rife that he would seek to take over the Jury's Doyle group himself, with a view to freeing up its wider hotel property portfolio for residential development.
But the Carlow developer's heart was always set on transforming the select Ballsbridge land belt centred on Jury's. Confirmation of this came when it emerged that he had paid €130m for the nine-storey office block Hume House, beside Jury's Hotel and opposite the US embassy. His unshakeable belief in Dublin 4 was confirmed in no small measure by the prices achieved on lands adjoining the Jury's and Hume House sites shortly afterwards.
Just three weeks after Dunne had paid a whopping €52m per acre for the 4.8-acre Jury's site, Ray Grehan of Glenkerrin Homes splashed out an unprecedented €171m on the former UCD Veterinary College building on nearby Shelbourne Road. The price paid by Grehan equated to an eye-watering €84m an acre.
The two-acre site was expected to sell for just over €120m, but this was easily outstripped by all five of the tenders ultimately submitted. Two offers of just over €170m were received, with the remaining three bids coming in between €155m and €160m. Commenting at the time on his securing of the Veterinary College site, a jubilant Ray Grehan described it as an opportunity that came around "only once a century".
While Dunne might have been disappointed not to get his own hands on the building, he must have taken some comfort from the knowledge that he had secured the Jury's land for a knockdown price - relatively speaking.
The arrival of yet another revered property mogul on the scene buoyed up Dunne's convictions on Dublin 4.
Bernard McNamara turned up the heat considerably when he bought the Burlington Hotel from the Jury's Doyle Group for €288m. McNamara followed up the hotel purchase shortly after when he acquired the Allianz building next door, paying €100m for the 1.5-acre plot.
Adding to all three men's confidence in the value of their embassy belt investments was the data from respected professional bodies. As late as April of last year, the UK-based Investment Property Databank and the Society of Chartered Surveyors produced a report which showed Irish commercial property returns outperforming those of the UK in 2005.
The IPD's monthly index showed Ireland giving total returns of 24.3 per cent compared to the UK's still-strong 18.8 per cent. The Irish performance in 2005 was its strongest since 2000, and more than double what had been achieved in 2004. An 18.1 per cent increase in Irish property values between 2004 and 2005 was the main contributing factor to this. The UK experienced a 12.2 per cent increase in capital values.
Those statistics mean little now, however. In the intervening period, the Irish property market has suffered a series of significant body blows. Eight interest rate increases by the European Central Bank (ECB) have added to the costs of developers' financing, while making it more expensive for prospective property buyers seeking mortgages.
More significant, though, is the bigger economic picture, where the fundamental threats to the health of the property market - particularly at its upper reaches - cannot be ignored. Escalating labour costs here and the threat posed by the emerging economies of the EU accession states have combined to undermine seriously Ireland's competitiveness.
And for men like Sean Dunne, concerns for the country's continuing competitiveness are far more than bootless cries from economists and other prophets of doom on drivetime radio shows.
Sean Dunne understands consequences, and knows full well that if foreign direct investment - first lured here by low corporation tax rates - takes flight for the fledgeling EU states now mimicking our Celtic Tiger economic model, there will be little enough demand for his luxurious 4,000 sq ft apartments in Dublin 4. Nor will there be any demand for apartment living on the grounds of the AIB bank campus, which Dunne bought in conjunction with Hibernian Life & Pensions.
And there will be little need for the Carlow developer to proceed with any further development at Charlesland in Greystones, Co Wicklow, either, where he has already constructed some 1,800 apartments and houses in partnership with Sean Mulryan of Ballymore Homes. Which could explain why the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, chose to invite Dunne and his wife to attend his historic address to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster during the recent general election campaign.
The Taoiseach understands better than anybody just how crucial men like Sean Dunne are to the country's economic - and his political - fortunes. Writing in this newspaper only two weeks ago on the issue of stamp duty reform, Mr Ahern was clear on just how critical the construction industry is to the country's economic well-being.
"A strong construction sector is vital to a strong economy," said Mr Ahern. "It directly employs 282,000 people across the country and many tens of thousands more in related industries. It is a major contributor to the health of our public finances. It is in everyone's best interest that it be allowed to thrive and continue generating good job opportunities and good earnings for thousands of families throughout Ireland."
Whatever about the Taoiseach's aspirations for the future of the construction industry, his sentiments will do little to help the plans of Sean Dunne to bring Knightsbridge to Dublin 4. As he examines the latest obstacle to his vision thrown up by Dublin City councillors and the concerned members of 14 local residents' associations, Dunne may well be thinking of the warnings from his developer rivals in 2005.
Back then, their suggestions that Dunne was paying over the odds for the Jury's site could have been dismissed as covetous. Now, however, those words appear prescient. Asked by the Sunday Independent then what they thought of Dunne's €260m offer for the Jury's site (reduced from €275m, due to extra tax liabilities), both Joe Moran of Manor Park Homes and Cork businessman Owen O'Callaghan described it as "madness".
It later transpired that Mr O'Callaghan had bid on the site himself, offering €160m for it, or €100m less than Sean Dunne. Commenting in 2005 on Sean Dunne's offer for the site, Mr O'Callaghan said: "I firmly believe that the proposed Jury's deal is madness. In most people's opinion the site is worth €160m to €180m. That's where the bulk of the bids were. I bid €160m. I do not think he [Sean Dunne] can make money on it."
Jim Mansfield, multimillionaire property developer and owner of Citywest leisure and golf complex, also had a clear view that Sean Dunne was making a costly mistake in paying €260m for the Jury's site. Mr Mansfield identified rising oil prices and the prospect of interest rate rises as potentially "very serious" for Mr Dunne.
He said: "The uncertainties caused by the latest oil price ripple could mean that anything could happen to interest rates at the moment. And the effect of higher interest rates on a deal like this one could be very serious."
Mr Mansfield also foresaw the planning problems now being faced by Sean Dunne, and their consequences. He said: "Remember the purchase can be subject to unexpected delays. If you were to get a project like that through the planning system and then through appeal, two years is not such a long time," he said. "And during that sort of period, the servicing of the €260m site costs alone could increase by upwards of 11 per cent. That's another €28m or so. Then there is the social and affordable housing costs that have to be added in.
"Of course it's also possible that the developer could make money out of it, especially if he were to persuade the planners to allow high-rise on the site. But without that certainty . . . all I can say is he is a brave man," Mr Mansfield added.
Sean Dunne will certainly need to steel himself in the light of last Monday's decision by Dublin City Council to withdraw the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Ballsbridge, which would have allowed for high-rise development.
Opting for a previous plan limiting tall buildings to just eight storeys as opposed to the 32 storeys Dunne was seeking, the councillors bowed to pressure from a coalition of 14 local residents' associations. The eight-storey limit also put paid to Dunne's plans for four 11-storey buildings.
And it's unlikely that Sean Dunne will have an opportunity to advance whatever Plan B he has for Ballsbridge for at least another year. Dublin City Council now intends to focus its attentions on drawing up Local Area Plans for Rathmines and Phibsborough, before returning to deal with the future of the Jury's site, and its environs.
But only a fool would write Sean Dunne off just yet. His decision, as a 50 per cent stakeholder in Berland Homes nearly 20 years ago, to purchase 70 acres in Bray for residential development raised more than a few eyebrows at a time when the housing market was less than buoyant.
And in 1996, before the property boom had taken hold, he founded Mountbrook Homes to build the upmarket St Helen's Wood in Booterstown. This bold development provided Dunne with the funds to embark on a series of housing schemes including St Raphael's Manor in Celbridge and later the exclusive Hollybrook apartment scheme on Brighton Road in Foxrock.
As property prices were propelled from year to year, Sean Dunne rode the crest of the developers' wave, while it lasted. Acutely aware of the cyclical nature of the economy, and by extension the health of the property market, Dunne knows that his dream of bringing Knightsbridge to Ballsbridge might not come just yet.
So, few will be surprised if he follows the money and goes in search of development opportunities in the emerging economies, using the profits there to service the interest on his Dublin 4 portfolio.
Dunne is nothing if not confident in the abiding value of Dublin's embassy belt land, which according to the statistics has doubled in value every seven years for the last century without fail. If such a pattern is repeated in 2012, the €510m gamble Sean Dunne took in 2005 will have paid off handsomely.
He just has to bide his time, if he can afford to.
Sunday Independent
Two years later, those who paid tribute to the 'Dunner' in the media and beyond are still watching, and waiting to see what he will do to realise his stated ambition of bringing Knightsbridge to Dublin 4. A 32-storey Trump Tower-style building with its own penthouse and 24-7 concierge service was to have been the centrepiece amidst a ribbon of luxurious 20-storey apartment blocks housing the newly-moneyed classes.
But Dunne's dream of reproducing London's Sloane Square or New York's Central Park West in Dublin was knocked back last week by the harsh realities of local government and local opposition.
With Dublin City councillors roundly rejecting high-rise development for Ballsbridge, Dunne has been forced back to the proverbial drawing board in an effort to appease officialdom, while still trying to turn a profit.
It will be a masterful feat if he can manage it. Simple arithmetic appears to be against him. Lower building heights will mean fewer apartment units. With fewer apartments to put on the market, Dunne will be forced to set the prices higher to maximise his return, and offset the cost of buying the site in the first place.
The law of supply and demand would suggest that with fewer apartments on offer, affluent buyers would be willing to pay more for a slice of a more exclusive pie. But this premise cannot be applied - for now at least - given the current jitters in the residential property market.
With prospective buyers looking for, and increasingly achieving, better value, it doesn't take a high-flying economist, or even a developer flying by the seat of his pants to suggest that the 'For Sale' signs could become more than a temporary fixture on Dunne's dream homes.
Compounding his difficulties in Dublin 4 is the restrictive covenant he entered into with the Doyle family when he bought out the two jewels in the hotel empire built by their late father, PV Doyle. As part of the deal to secure the Jury's and Berkeley Court sites, Dunne agreed that he would not develop another hotel there at any time in the future.
While the covenant might have made sense in 2005, it no longer does. Had Dunne the option of hotel development, he could have looked to replicate the model of the nearby Four Seasons Hotel, which has its own permanent penthouse residences.
While such a model might sound unusual, it has already proved attractive to at least one well-known Ballsbridge resident. Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds is in the process of selling his palatial house on Ailesbury Road, worth €15m, with a view to taking up residence in one of the Four Seasons penthouse apartments, which cost €5m. From his new vantage point in his five-star eyrie, Mr Reynolds will soon have a bird's-eye view of another millstone around Sean Dunne's neck.
In another bold move, last July, Dunne entered into a €378m deal with Hibernian Life & Pensions to buy four blocks of AIB headquarters in Ballsbridge, as well as an adjoining four acres.
Dunne's contribution to the sale and leaseback transaction, which came to an incredible €200m, was not without difficulties, coming as it did six weeks after the initial deadline for payment.
Having first paid a deposit of €20m in April for the land, Dunne was served with a completion notice by AIB when the deal was not concluded by the end of May. A further deadline passed at the end of June with no sign of the remaining €180m being paid.
Dunne held his nerve, delivering the cash a week after he closed another deal, to sell his 50 per cent stake in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge to Warren Private Clients for just under €200m.
The deal with Warren came with its own problems, and only proceeded after an eight-day battle in the High Court. Dunne had wanted to back out of the transaction, and took Warren to court claiming that an earlier agreement to sell the Whitewater site for €37.5m had been conditional on another development agreement that had never been signed.
Ultimately, the court case was settled, with Warren agreeing to pay €197m for the Newbridge site and development works, with a further €20m in 18 months depending on rental increases.
Dunne might be keen to extract that €20m now, given the estimated annual interest bill of €11m being speculated upon by financial analysts in relation to his estimated €170m borrowings on the Jury's and Berkeley Court sites.
At the very least, he must be wondering if it was wise to set his bid for the Jury's site tender at €275m, based solely on the whimsy of his glamorous socialite wife, former journalist Gayle Killilea.
The story of how Dunne asked his wife - a one-time Sunday Independent columnist - to pick a number between €253m and €275m when deciding on his finaloffer for the Dublin 4 land could well go down in history as the defining image of a Celtic Tiger oblivious to its own mortality.
To be fair to Gayle, she was said to be unaware that her choice of '75 (the year of her birth) related in any way to the Jury's deal, and opted for the higher number, believing it to be lucky.
When her husband secured the glittering prize, he must have believed his luck was in too. Among the bidders he beat were Joe O'Reilly's Castlethorn Construction; Galway-based Frank O'Malley of O'Malley Construction; Glencairn Development Company; Neville Brothers; Treasury Holdings; McNamara Development Company and Park Developments. Dunne's neighbour on Shrewsbury Road, millionaire hotel operator Paddy Kelly also submitted an unsuccessful bid of €273m - just €2m shy of the winning figure.
But Dunne's prize wasn't achieved through good fortune alone. To have his bid accepted by the Jury's Doyle Group, Dunne was forced to engage in an aggressive purchase of their shares.
When the Precinct Consortium, comprising businessman Bryan Cullen, David Coleman and JJ Murphy, entered the fray with the backing of the billionaire Reuben brothers, Dunne immediately sensed the danger of a potential takeover of the Jury's Doyle Group, which could have scuppered his purchase of the Jury's site altogether.
The Precinct Consortium put together a due diligence report on the company and looked set to offer €1.1bn for it, or €17.50 per share.
To counter this, Dunne was forced to buy up a substantial 29 per cent of the Jury's Doyle shares in four separate tranches to block any takeover of the company in advance of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) called to approve the land sale.
However, with the deal approved, Dunne's appetite for the company's shares didn't recede. Within weeks, speculation was rife that he would seek to take over the Jury's Doyle group himself, with a view to freeing up its wider hotel property portfolio for residential development.
But the Carlow developer's heart was always set on transforming the select Ballsbridge land belt centred on Jury's. Confirmation of this came when it emerged that he had paid €130m for the nine-storey office block Hume House, beside Jury's Hotel and opposite the US embassy. His unshakeable belief in Dublin 4 was confirmed in no small measure by the prices achieved on lands adjoining the Jury's and Hume House sites shortly afterwards.
Just three weeks after Dunne had paid a whopping €52m per acre for the 4.8-acre Jury's site, Ray Grehan of Glenkerrin Homes splashed out an unprecedented €171m on the former UCD Veterinary College building on nearby Shelbourne Road. The price paid by Grehan equated to an eye-watering €84m an acre.
The two-acre site was expected to sell for just over €120m, but this was easily outstripped by all five of the tenders ultimately submitted. Two offers of just over €170m were received, with the remaining three bids coming in between €155m and €160m. Commenting at the time on his securing of the Veterinary College site, a jubilant Ray Grehan described it as an opportunity that came around "only once a century".
While Dunne might have been disappointed not to get his own hands on the building, he must have taken some comfort from the knowledge that he had secured the Jury's land for a knockdown price - relatively speaking.
The arrival of yet another revered property mogul on the scene buoyed up Dunne's convictions on Dublin 4.
Bernard McNamara turned up the heat considerably when he bought the Burlington Hotel from the Jury's Doyle Group for €288m. McNamara followed up the hotel purchase shortly after when he acquired the Allianz building next door, paying €100m for the 1.5-acre plot.
Adding to all three men's confidence in the value of their embassy belt investments was the data from respected professional bodies. As late as April of last year, the UK-based Investment Property Databank and the Society of Chartered Surveyors produced a report which showed Irish commercial property returns outperforming those of the UK in 2005.
The IPD's monthly index showed Ireland giving total returns of 24.3 per cent compared to the UK's still-strong 18.8 per cent. The Irish performance in 2005 was its strongest since 2000, and more than double what had been achieved in 2004. An 18.1 per cent increase in Irish property values between 2004 and 2005 was the main contributing factor to this. The UK experienced a 12.2 per cent increase in capital values.
Those statistics mean little now, however. In the intervening period, the Irish property market has suffered a series of significant body blows. Eight interest rate increases by the European Central Bank (ECB) have added to the costs of developers' financing, while making it more expensive for prospective property buyers seeking mortgages.
More significant, though, is the bigger economic picture, where the fundamental threats to the health of the property market - particularly at its upper reaches - cannot be ignored. Escalating labour costs here and the threat posed by the emerging economies of the EU accession states have combined to undermine seriously Ireland's competitiveness.
And for men like Sean Dunne, concerns for the country's continuing competitiveness are far more than bootless cries from economists and other prophets of doom on drivetime radio shows.
Sean Dunne understands consequences, and knows full well that if foreign direct investment - first lured here by low corporation tax rates - takes flight for the fledgeling EU states now mimicking our Celtic Tiger economic model, there will be little enough demand for his luxurious 4,000 sq ft apartments in Dublin 4. Nor will there be any demand for apartment living on the grounds of the AIB bank campus, which Dunne bought in conjunction with Hibernian Life & Pensions.
And there will be little need for the Carlow developer to proceed with any further development at Charlesland in Greystones, Co Wicklow, either, where he has already constructed some 1,800 apartments and houses in partnership with Sean Mulryan of Ballymore Homes. Which could explain why the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, chose to invite Dunne and his wife to attend his historic address to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster during the recent general election campaign.
The Taoiseach understands better than anybody just how crucial men like Sean Dunne are to the country's economic - and his political - fortunes. Writing in this newspaper only two weeks ago on the issue of stamp duty reform, Mr Ahern was clear on just how critical the construction industry is to the country's economic well-being.
"A strong construction sector is vital to a strong economy," said Mr Ahern. "It directly employs 282,000 people across the country and many tens of thousands more in related industries. It is a major contributor to the health of our public finances. It is in everyone's best interest that it be allowed to thrive and continue generating good job opportunities and good earnings for thousands of families throughout Ireland."
Whatever about the Taoiseach's aspirations for the future of the construction industry, his sentiments will do little to help the plans of Sean Dunne to bring Knightsbridge to Dublin 4. As he examines the latest obstacle to his vision thrown up by Dublin City councillors and the concerned members of 14 local residents' associations, Dunne may well be thinking of the warnings from his developer rivals in 2005.
Back then, their suggestions that Dunne was paying over the odds for the Jury's site could have been dismissed as covetous. Now, however, those words appear prescient. Asked by the Sunday Independent then what they thought of Dunne's €260m offer for the Jury's site (reduced from €275m, due to extra tax liabilities), both Joe Moran of Manor Park Homes and Cork businessman Owen O'Callaghan described it as "madness".
It later transpired that Mr O'Callaghan had bid on the site himself, offering €160m for it, or €100m less than Sean Dunne. Commenting in 2005 on Sean Dunne's offer for the site, Mr O'Callaghan said: "I firmly believe that the proposed Jury's deal is madness. In most people's opinion the site is worth €160m to €180m. That's where the bulk of the bids were. I bid €160m. I do not think he [Sean Dunne] can make money on it."
Jim Mansfield, multimillionaire property developer and owner of Citywest leisure and golf complex, also had a clear view that Sean Dunne was making a costly mistake in paying €260m for the Jury's site. Mr Mansfield identified rising oil prices and the prospect of interest rate rises as potentially "very serious" for Mr Dunne.
He said: "The uncertainties caused by the latest oil price ripple could mean that anything could happen to interest rates at the moment. And the effect of higher interest rates on a deal like this one could be very serious."
Mr Mansfield also foresaw the planning problems now being faced by Sean Dunne, and their consequences. He said: "Remember the purchase can be subject to unexpected delays. If you were to get a project like that through the planning system and then through appeal, two years is not such a long time," he said. "And during that sort of period, the servicing of the €260m site costs alone could increase by upwards of 11 per cent. That's another €28m or so. Then there is the social and affordable housing costs that have to be added in.
"Of course it's also possible that the developer could make money out of it, especially if he were to persuade the planners to allow high-rise on the site. But without that certainty . . . all I can say is he is a brave man," Mr Mansfield added.
Sean Dunne will certainly need to steel himself in the light of last Monday's decision by Dublin City Council to withdraw the Local Area Plan (LAP) for Ballsbridge, which would have allowed for high-rise development.
Opting for a previous plan limiting tall buildings to just eight storeys as opposed to the 32 storeys Dunne was seeking, the councillors bowed to pressure from a coalition of 14 local residents' associations. The eight-storey limit also put paid to Dunne's plans for four 11-storey buildings.
And it's unlikely that Sean Dunne will have an opportunity to advance whatever Plan B he has for Ballsbridge for at least another year. Dublin City Council now intends to focus its attentions on drawing up Local Area Plans for Rathmines and Phibsborough, before returning to deal with the future of the Jury's site, and its environs.
But only a fool would write Sean Dunne off just yet. His decision, as a 50 per cent stakeholder in Berland Homes nearly 20 years ago, to purchase 70 acres in Bray for residential development raised more than a few eyebrows at a time when the housing market was less than buoyant.
And in 1996, before the property boom had taken hold, he founded Mountbrook Homes to build the upmarket St Helen's Wood in Booterstown. This bold development provided Dunne with the funds to embark on a series of housing schemes including St Raphael's Manor in Celbridge and later the exclusive Hollybrook apartment scheme on Brighton Road in Foxrock.
As property prices were propelled from year to year, Sean Dunne rode the crest of the developers' wave, while it lasted. Acutely aware of the cyclical nature of the economy, and by extension the health of the property market, Dunne knows that his dream of bringing Knightsbridge to Ballsbridge might not come just yet.
So, few will be surprised if he follows the money and goes in search of development opportunities in the emerging economies, using the profits there to service the interest on his Dublin 4 portfolio.
Dunne is nothing if not confident in the abiding value of Dublin's embassy belt land, which according to the statistics has doubled in value every seven years for the last century without fail. If such a pattern is repeated in 2012, the €510m gamble Sean Dunne took in 2005 will have paid off handsomely.
He just has to bide his time, if he can afford to.
Sunday Independent
Gormley 'cannot reverse' Roche's motorway
ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley last night said he did not have the power to overturn his predecessor Dick Roche's controversial decision to proceed with a motorway near the Hill of Tara.
On his first day in the job, the Green minister spent the day at the centre of a bitter row as tensions heightened between his party and Fianna Fail.
But after consultations with a number of parties including the Attorney General, Mr Gormley eventually conceded that, despite his commitment to protecting the Irish heritage, he could not revoke Mr Roche's order.
Just before clearing his desk, Mr Roche signed an order allowing a national monument near Tara to be studied and then destroyed to make way for the new M3.
In a statement, Mr Gormley outlined the consultations pursued by Mr Roche before he gave the go-ahead to the motorway, including expert archaeological advice that the alternative of leaving the monument in place would result in its destruction by the elements.
Given what had taken place prior to the order being made, Mr Gormley said: "It is not open to me to set aside the recent directions.
"Without a change in material circumstances affecting this case, there is no basis for amending the quasi-judicial determination recently made. I have consulted with the Office of the Attorney General who confirm this position."
Earlier in the day, Mr Roche claimed he had done Mr Gormley a favour by giving the green light to the motorway route. "Any minister sitting in my office in the Custom House looking at that file and having to make a decision would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck," he said.
But Green Party acting leader Trevor Sargent laughed at Mr Roche's claim, saying he thought that "many archaeologists would disagree with that".
He added: "Unfortunately, some habits die hard and who knows what the dying days of administrations are festooned with - appointments and decisions that seem to be rushed, whether or not they are - but that's certainly the perception."
Important
Mr Sargent described the outgoing minister's decision as "unfortunate".
"The Green Party has made very clear that it was unfortunate that the minister chose to take action just as he was leaving office on an issue which he knows is important to supporters of the Green Party."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday backed Mr Roche's decision but said he had not known about it or discussed it when he told the minister he was being dropped from the department.
Fine Gael and Labour immediately rounded on the Greens and Mr Gormley.
Labour's Eamon Gilmore said Mr Gormley did have the power to reverse the decision under a section of the National Monuments Act.
"If Mr Gormley takes the time to seek legal advice he will be told this."
Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd said Mr Gormley had to rule on the M3 decision of his "Fianna Fail political masters".
Fionnan Sheahan and Senan Molony
Irish Independent
On his first day in the job, the Green minister spent the day at the centre of a bitter row as tensions heightened between his party and Fianna Fail.
But after consultations with a number of parties including the Attorney General, Mr Gormley eventually conceded that, despite his commitment to protecting the Irish heritage, he could not revoke Mr Roche's order.
Just before clearing his desk, Mr Roche signed an order allowing a national monument near Tara to be studied and then destroyed to make way for the new M3.
In a statement, Mr Gormley outlined the consultations pursued by Mr Roche before he gave the go-ahead to the motorway, including expert archaeological advice that the alternative of leaving the monument in place would result in its destruction by the elements.
Given what had taken place prior to the order being made, Mr Gormley said: "It is not open to me to set aside the recent directions.
"Without a change in material circumstances affecting this case, there is no basis for amending the quasi-judicial determination recently made. I have consulted with the Office of the Attorney General who confirm this position."
Earlier in the day, Mr Roche claimed he had done Mr Gormley a favour by giving the green light to the motorway route. "Any minister sitting in my office in the Custom House looking at that file and having to make a decision would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck," he said.
But Green Party acting leader Trevor Sargent laughed at Mr Roche's claim, saying he thought that "many archaeologists would disagree with that".
He added: "Unfortunately, some habits die hard and who knows what the dying days of administrations are festooned with - appointments and decisions that seem to be rushed, whether or not they are - but that's certainly the perception."
Important
Mr Sargent described the outgoing minister's decision as "unfortunate".
"The Green Party has made very clear that it was unfortunate that the minister chose to take action just as he was leaving office on an issue which he knows is important to supporters of the Green Party."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday backed Mr Roche's decision but said he had not known about it or discussed it when he told the minister he was being dropped from the department.
Fine Gael and Labour immediately rounded on the Greens and Mr Gormley.
Labour's Eamon Gilmore said Mr Gormley did have the power to reverse the decision under a section of the National Monuments Act.
"If Mr Gormley takes the time to seek legal advice he will be told this."
Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd said Mr Gormley had to rule on the M3 decision of his "Fianna Fail political masters".
Fionnan Sheahan and Senan Molony
Irish Independent
The young Traveller tigers who have amassed millions in land and money
AS PART of its duty to provide accommodation for Travellers under the 1998 Traveller Accommodation Act, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council is building 24 houses and 32 serviced halting site bays. Dun Laoghaire has one of the lowest populations of Travellers in Ireland and all the families being accommodated are law-abiding and cause no trouble.
The value of the accommodation, if measured in terms of property market values faced by the settled community, could be in the region of €30m.
Among the sites being developed are six houses nearing completion in land acquired from the Daughters of Charity at Temple Hill, Blackrock. A small house in the same location would cost a settled purchaser at least €1m. Three other houses are planned for land on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire, a sea-front location that would, if it were on the market, be among the most expensive in the country.
Under the tenant purchase scheme, the Travellers have the right to buy the properties for a fraction of their market value, or pay nothing if they wait the requisite amount of time and claim possessory title - better known as the squatter's right. Meanwhile, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has a housing crisis with a housing waiting list which has almost 4,000 names on it.
The cost of property in south Dublin has also made it almost impossible for young families to buy, causing an exodus of much-needed young professionals like teachers, health workers and civil servants.
Exact figures were not available last week, but the last attempt to appraise the amount of money being spent by the Government and local councils was a "Traveller-specific" sum of around €100m, in a report in March 2006 by the High Level Group on Traveller Issues.
The amount does not take into consideration the millions being paid out on civil legal aid to Travellers taking cases against the State on a variety of issues, from equality to property rights and compensation. The report was an assessment of the work already done by the Government, to "enhance the quality of life" for Travellers in Ireland.
It found that little progress had been made for most Travellers. Two thirds of children are still leaving school at around the end of primary school; about 73 per cent of males and 63 per cent of females are claiming unemployment benefits; the Traveller population has risen by 50 per cent to around 25,000 in 20 years; and the numbers of families living on "unauthorised" sites is rising.
The example set by the Joyce family in Dunsink Lane in Finglas, who are receiving €2.6m to vacate the site they have been illegally squatting on, is likely to increase the number of squatter cases. Martin 'Ripper' Joyce, who is receiving the single biggest payment of €1.1m, is serving a three-month sentence for threatening a social welfare officer who was investigating fraudulent claims made by Joyce, who owns commercial property in Dublin and a house in Co Meath.
Fingal County Council is not commenting on the payments being made to Travellers squatting around Dunsink, other than to deny claims that they could amount to €23m. 'Ripper' Joyce's two brothers, David and Alan, are due to receive €750,000 to move from adjacent sites. Fingal County Council said it was unaware of 'Ripper' Joyce's wealth and the fact that he is facing a tax bill from the Criminal Assets Bureau understood to be €1m.
Other families remaining on the site are causing further destruction to the area, apparently in the hope that the council will be forced to pay them to leave as well. A community centre and houses specifically built for the Travellers on St Mary's Park at Dunsink have been gutted.
According to gardai, Traveller families at Dunsink are heavily involved in the drugs trade, the supply of firearms, laundering of illicit diesel and trading in parts from stolen cars. One of the families is said to be operating one of the biggest stolen parts operations in the country.
Gardai say that although Dunsink is a centre of criminality there are several law-abiding Traveller families who are as upset by the activities of the criminals as the settled community.
Fingal has the biggest Traveller accommodation programme in the country after South County Dublin. At present, Fingal is providing houses and halting sites for around 350 Traveller families, employing 16 full-time staff and providing high-spec new housing and serviced halting sites for up to 350 families.
The provision of accommodation, rather than encouraging many Traveller families to "build links with the settled community", as the 2006 Government report hoped, has started a major land grab, mostly by families involved in crime. Recent figures by the Department of Environment show that between 2005 and the end of 2006 the number of families squatting illegally in Ireland rose from 589 to 629.
One of the worst cases is in the Fingal area, on a five-acre site adjoining the MI near Lusk. The site has a potential value of around €15m for commercial development and as much as €30m for residential development.
The families who moved on to the council-owned site as soon as it was vacated by the construction firm SIAC, on the completion of the motorway two years ago, are understood to be demanding €6m to leave.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to move the eight extended families who have been squatting on the site, and all have been rebuffed. Two months ago gardai found a large amount of stolen goods during a search. Armed gardai were present because shots have been fired from the site.
Last April, Fingal County Council sought a High Court injunction to stop the Travellers from excavating land at the site - with the apparent intention of illegally dumping waste - as the digging was threatening the support embankment of a motorway bridge beside the site.
Ms Justice Laffoy told the Travellers that what they were doing could be dangerous to the public, and instructed them 'Several law-abiding Traveller families are upset by the activities of the criminals'
not to interfere with council officials entering on the land to inspect the potential damage to the bridge.
Counsel for the Travellers said they would agree to comply with the order. The judge warned that if there was any breach of the order, the council could seek orders for their committal to prison.
In the meantime, the Travellers have issued their own proceedings against Fingal Council and the Attorney General, seeking to prevent them from being moved on from the site. These cases are among a rapidly increasing amount of court cases involving Travellers, most of them backed by free legal aid. Gardai say that, as well as the disturbing growth in crime involving members of the Travelling community in the past decade, there is an emerging widespread conspiracy to acquire land, something that had never happened before.
According to gardai acquainted with the Travelling community, a number of rich Travellers found themselves with large quantities of cash they could not easily dispose of before the introduction of the euro.
They began buying land in cash transactions, often at or above the asking price. The increase in the value of property in the following years was suddenly seen as a way of making money, and the trend began to spread.
The same trend has emerged in England, where Travellers have been buying agricultural land at low prices and then setting up encampments which have often led to the creating of a major nuisance in surrounding areas. In several instances, local communities have clubbed together and asked to buy the land back, only to be quoted a massively inflated price.
The fact that land is already so expensive in Ireland has, it seems, led to the increase in squatting. The Government programme of providing accommodation for the entire Traveller community has greatly encouraged this trend.
The programme has also failed to see any marked change in the cultural and educational lifestyles of most Travellers or any noticeable moves towards "building links with the settled community".
At the same time crime involving Travellers has reached levels where several families are regarded as being in the top rank of organised crime gangs, and marauding packs of young male Travellers, uneducated and with little hope of any form of settled employment, are again causing widespread alarm across the State, as they embark on lives of crime.
JIM CUSACK
Sunday Independent
The value of the accommodation, if measured in terms of property market values faced by the settled community, could be in the region of €30m.
Among the sites being developed are six houses nearing completion in land acquired from the Daughters of Charity at Temple Hill, Blackrock. A small house in the same location would cost a settled purchaser at least €1m. Three other houses are planned for land on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire, a sea-front location that would, if it were on the market, be among the most expensive in the country.
Under the tenant purchase scheme, the Travellers have the right to buy the properties for a fraction of their market value, or pay nothing if they wait the requisite amount of time and claim possessory title - better known as the squatter's right. Meanwhile, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has a housing crisis with a housing waiting list which has almost 4,000 names on it.
The cost of property in south Dublin has also made it almost impossible for young families to buy, causing an exodus of much-needed young professionals like teachers, health workers and civil servants.
Exact figures were not available last week, but the last attempt to appraise the amount of money being spent by the Government and local councils was a "Traveller-specific" sum of around €100m, in a report in March 2006 by the High Level Group on Traveller Issues.
The amount does not take into consideration the millions being paid out on civil legal aid to Travellers taking cases against the State on a variety of issues, from equality to property rights and compensation. The report was an assessment of the work already done by the Government, to "enhance the quality of life" for Travellers in Ireland.
It found that little progress had been made for most Travellers. Two thirds of children are still leaving school at around the end of primary school; about 73 per cent of males and 63 per cent of females are claiming unemployment benefits; the Traveller population has risen by 50 per cent to around 25,000 in 20 years; and the numbers of families living on "unauthorised" sites is rising.
The example set by the Joyce family in Dunsink Lane in Finglas, who are receiving €2.6m to vacate the site they have been illegally squatting on, is likely to increase the number of squatter cases. Martin 'Ripper' Joyce, who is receiving the single biggest payment of €1.1m, is serving a three-month sentence for threatening a social welfare officer who was investigating fraudulent claims made by Joyce, who owns commercial property in Dublin and a house in Co Meath.
Fingal County Council is not commenting on the payments being made to Travellers squatting around Dunsink, other than to deny claims that they could amount to €23m. 'Ripper' Joyce's two brothers, David and Alan, are due to receive €750,000 to move from adjacent sites. Fingal County Council said it was unaware of 'Ripper' Joyce's wealth and the fact that he is facing a tax bill from the Criminal Assets Bureau understood to be €1m.
Other families remaining on the site are causing further destruction to the area, apparently in the hope that the council will be forced to pay them to leave as well. A community centre and houses specifically built for the Travellers on St Mary's Park at Dunsink have been gutted.
According to gardai, Traveller families at Dunsink are heavily involved in the drugs trade, the supply of firearms, laundering of illicit diesel and trading in parts from stolen cars. One of the families is said to be operating one of the biggest stolen parts operations in the country.
Gardai say that although Dunsink is a centre of criminality there are several law-abiding Traveller families who are as upset by the activities of the criminals as the settled community.
Fingal has the biggest Traveller accommodation programme in the country after South County Dublin. At present, Fingal is providing houses and halting sites for around 350 Traveller families, employing 16 full-time staff and providing high-spec new housing and serviced halting sites for up to 350 families.
The provision of accommodation, rather than encouraging many Traveller families to "build links with the settled community", as the 2006 Government report hoped, has started a major land grab, mostly by families involved in crime. Recent figures by the Department of Environment show that between 2005 and the end of 2006 the number of families squatting illegally in Ireland rose from 589 to 629.
One of the worst cases is in the Fingal area, on a five-acre site adjoining the MI near Lusk. The site has a potential value of around €15m for commercial development and as much as €30m for residential development.
The families who moved on to the council-owned site as soon as it was vacated by the construction firm SIAC, on the completion of the motorway two years ago, are understood to be demanding €6m to leave.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to move the eight extended families who have been squatting on the site, and all have been rebuffed. Two months ago gardai found a large amount of stolen goods during a search. Armed gardai were present because shots have been fired from the site.
Last April, Fingal County Council sought a High Court injunction to stop the Travellers from excavating land at the site - with the apparent intention of illegally dumping waste - as the digging was threatening the support embankment of a motorway bridge beside the site.
Ms Justice Laffoy told the Travellers that what they were doing could be dangerous to the public, and instructed them 'Several law-abiding Traveller families are upset by the activities of the criminals'
not to interfere with council officials entering on the land to inspect the potential damage to the bridge.
Counsel for the Travellers said they would agree to comply with the order. The judge warned that if there was any breach of the order, the council could seek orders for their committal to prison.
In the meantime, the Travellers have issued their own proceedings against Fingal Council and the Attorney General, seeking to prevent them from being moved on from the site. These cases are among a rapidly increasing amount of court cases involving Travellers, most of them backed by free legal aid. Gardai say that, as well as the disturbing growth in crime involving members of the Travelling community in the past decade, there is an emerging widespread conspiracy to acquire land, something that had never happened before.
According to gardai acquainted with the Travelling community, a number of rich Travellers found themselves with large quantities of cash they could not easily dispose of before the introduction of the euro.
They began buying land in cash transactions, often at or above the asking price. The increase in the value of property in the following years was suddenly seen as a way of making money, and the trend began to spread.
The same trend has emerged in England, where Travellers have been buying agricultural land at low prices and then setting up encampments which have often led to the creating of a major nuisance in surrounding areas. In several instances, local communities have clubbed together and asked to buy the land back, only to be quoted a massively inflated price.
The fact that land is already so expensive in Ireland has, it seems, led to the increase in squatting. The Government programme of providing accommodation for the entire Traveller community has greatly encouraged this trend.
The programme has also failed to see any marked change in the cultural and educational lifestyles of most Travellers or any noticeable moves towards "building links with the settled community".
At the same time crime involving Travellers has reached levels where several families are regarded as being in the top rank of organised crime gangs, and marauding packs of young male Travellers, uneducated and with little hope of any form of settled employment, are again causing widespread alarm across the State, as they embark on lives of crime.
JIM CUSACK
Sunday Independent
Hoteliers to do court battle over castle sale
THE failed multimillion sale of a luxurious country hotel last year has led to a legal battle breaking out between the owners of two well-known historic Irish castles.
The owner of Kinnity Castle, Con Ryan, is being sued by a leading international development and construction company which sought but failed to buy the exclusive Co Offaly hotel last year.
Mr Ryan's solicitors are also being sued by Roscommon development company the Hanly Group, which owns Lough Rynn Castle, claiming it had a signed deal to buy the luxurious hotel.
Kinnitty Castle, one of the leading wedding locations in Ireland, was to be sold by Mr Ryan to international developers the Hanly Group for €14m last year - but the deal broke down.
The deal was agreed in principle and a €2m deposit was handed over. News of the sale hit the headlines at the time but the agreement turned sour.
Now Mr Ryan is being sued by the Hanly Group over his retention of its €2m deposit and for further damages as a result of the collapse of the deal. Mr Ryan's solicitors, Holmes, O'Malley and Sexton, are also being sued for their part in the negotiations and the case will recommence tomorrow week in Dublin's Commercial Court, a division of the High Court.
Under law, in a sale of this type a closing date is fixed. Then the vendor issues a completion order on the purchaser and a stay of 28 days is granted. If that is not met, a forfeiture order is issued and a further 21 days is allowed.
In this case there is a fundamental disagreement as to what transpired.
According to one source close to the Ryan family, both these deadlines came and went - and thus Mr Ryan's solicitor withheld the €2m deposit.
However, the Hanly Group believes that because the deal collapsed it is entitled to its deposit back. It is suing Mr Ryan and his solicitors under a "special performance" provision of the detailed contract.
"We had all our people there on the closing day waiting to close - and he simply didn't show up," said a source close to the Hanly Group.
A source close to Mr Ryan, however, said: "He followed all the procedures, did everything right. It was they who tried to change the deal and he was advised not to go ahead. It is clear they think they have a strong case, but so do we."
Mr Ryan's solicitors, Holmes, O'Malley and Sexton, based in Limerick, are also named as defendants in the case.
In court tomorrow week, Mr Justice Peter Kelly is expected to set a date for a full hearing.
Speculation about the protracted sale of the hotel had a significant impact on wedding bookings, which are the core element of Kinnity's business. However, since the breakdown of the hotel sale, business has picked up again.
This summer will see the Pogues' colourful front man Shane MacGowan marry his fiancee Victoria Mary Clarke, while former Boyzone dancer Shane Lynch will marry his long-term sweetheart Sheena, with whom he was reunited at Kinnitty at his sister Edele's wedding last year.
The Hanly Group has embarked on an ambitious programme of redeveloping Ireland's castle hotels in recent years. The group has spent €40m on the refurbishment and further development of the luxurious Lough Rynn Castle hotel in Co Leitrim and it also retains an interest in the estate of Kilronan Castle in Co Roscommon.
DANIEL McCONNELL
Irish Independent
The owner of Kinnity Castle, Con Ryan, is being sued by a leading international development and construction company which sought but failed to buy the exclusive Co Offaly hotel last year.
Mr Ryan's solicitors are also being sued by Roscommon development company the Hanly Group, which owns Lough Rynn Castle, claiming it had a signed deal to buy the luxurious hotel.
Kinnitty Castle, one of the leading wedding locations in Ireland, was to be sold by Mr Ryan to international developers the Hanly Group for €14m last year - but the deal broke down.
The deal was agreed in principle and a €2m deposit was handed over. News of the sale hit the headlines at the time but the agreement turned sour.
Now Mr Ryan is being sued by the Hanly Group over his retention of its €2m deposit and for further damages as a result of the collapse of the deal. Mr Ryan's solicitors, Holmes, O'Malley and Sexton, are also being sued for their part in the negotiations and the case will recommence tomorrow week in Dublin's Commercial Court, a division of the High Court.
Under law, in a sale of this type a closing date is fixed. Then the vendor issues a completion order on the purchaser and a stay of 28 days is granted. If that is not met, a forfeiture order is issued and a further 21 days is allowed.
In this case there is a fundamental disagreement as to what transpired.
According to one source close to the Ryan family, both these deadlines came and went - and thus Mr Ryan's solicitor withheld the €2m deposit.
However, the Hanly Group believes that because the deal collapsed it is entitled to its deposit back. It is suing Mr Ryan and his solicitors under a "special performance" provision of the detailed contract.
"We had all our people there on the closing day waiting to close - and he simply didn't show up," said a source close to the Hanly Group.
A source close to Mr Ryan, however, said: "He followed all the procedures, did everything right. It was they who tried to change the deal and he was advised not to go ahead. It is clear they think they have a strong case, but so do we."
Mr Ryan's solicitors, Holmes, O'Malley and Sexton, based in Limerick, are also named as defendants in the case.
In court tomorrow week, Mr Justice Peter Kelly is expected to set a date for a full hearing.
Speculation about the protracted sale of the hotel had a significant impact on wedding bookings, which are the core element of Kinnity's business. However, since the breakdown of the hotel sale, business has picked up again.
This summer will see the Pogues' colourful front man Shane MacGowan marry his fiancee Victoria Mary Clarke, while former Boyzone dancer Shane Lynch will marry his long-term sweetheart Sheena, with whom he was reunited at Kinnitty at his sister Edele's wedding last year.
The Hanly Group has embarked on an ambitious programme of redeveloping Ireland's castle hotels in recent years. The group has spent €40m on the refurbishment and further development of the luxurious Lough Rynn Castle hotel in Co Leitrim and it also retains an interest in the estate of Kilronan Castle in Co Roscommon.
DANIEL McCONNELL
Irish Independent
Last orders for Guinness time at St James's Gate
THE days of Guinness at St James's Gate are numbered as Diageo prepares to move to a greenfield site on the outskirts of Dublin, the Sunday Independent understands.
It is expected that the sale of the extensive city-centre site would fetch close to €3bn.
According to sources at the company, plans are under way at senior management level to begin the move away from the city centre to a large new plant to be built at a greenfield site to the north of Dublin.
There was much talk among employees at the world-famous firm last week about the company's plan to move, which is expected to involve substantial job losses.
The plant dates back to 1759, and since production of Guinness in London has been moved to Dublin a major overhaul of the company's operation in Dublin is required.
It is believed that given the age of the buildings at St James's Gate, it is preferable to sell much of the site and start with a new brewery.
One area that has been mentioned is Balbriggan, given its proximity to the proposed new Dublin Port.
Such a new plant would be a great attraction for the company. While the cost of building a new plant would be very substantial, the sale of lands in the city centre for €2.5-3bn would offset such expenditures. The area around the brewery has also been designated by the City Council as a new development quarter.
A spokeswoman for the company said that while Diageo consistently monitors its operations and output, any talk of the company moving out of the extensive James's Gate site was "pure speculation". However, when asked to clarify whether there are any plans to move from the city centre or whether the company was looking at purchasing any site on the edge of Dublin, the spokeswoman refused to deny it, again using the words "pure speculation".
Diageo Ireland employs more than 2,200 people in its various plants around the country but any move would involve a streamlining of the operation while ensuring an increase in capacity.
Last month Diageo reported a decline in European sales in the six months to the end of December, led in particular by weakness in Ireland, Britain and Spain. Michael Patten, a spokesman for Diageo Ireland, attributed the weaker overall performance to a move away from pubs to home consumption.
According to Mr Patten, about 70 per cent of the group's Irish sales in 2001 were in pubs, compared with j 50 per cent today.
DANIEL MCCONNELL
Sunday Independent
It is expected that the sale of the extensive city-centre site would fetch close to €3bn.
According to sources at the company, plans are under way at senior management level to begin the move away from the city centre to a large new plant to be built at a greenfield site to the north of Dublin.
There was much talk among employees at the world-famous firm last week about the company's plan to move, which is expected to involve substantial job losses.
The plant dates back to 1759, and since production of Guinness in London has been moved to Dublin a major overhaul of the company's operation in Dublin is required.
It is believed that given the age of the buildings at St James's Gate, it is preferable to sell much of the site and start with a new brewery.
One area that has been mentioned is Balbriggan, given its proximity to the proposed new Dublin Port.
Such a new plant would be a great attraction for the company. While the cost of building a new plant would be very substantial, the sale of lands in the city centre for €2.5-3bn would offset such expenditures. The area around the brewery has also been designated by the City Council as a new development quarter.
A spokeswoman for the company said that while Diageo consistently monitors its operations and output, any talk of the company moving out of the extensive James's Gate site was "pure speculation". However, when asked to clarify whether there are any plans to move from the city centre or whether the company was looking at purchasing any site on the edge of Dublin, the spokeswoman refused to deny it, again using the words "pure speculation".
Diageo Ireland employs more than 2,200 people in its various plants around the country but any move would involve a streamlining of the operation while ensuring an increase in capacity.
Last month Diageo reported a decline in European sales in the six months to the end of December, led in particular by weakness in Ireland, Britain and Spain. Michael Patten, a spokesman for Diageo Ireland, attributed the weaker overall performance to a move away from pubs to home consumption.
According to Mr Patten, about 70 per cent of the group's Irish sales in 2001 were in pubs, compared with j 50 per cent today.
DANIEL MCCONNELL
Sunday Independent
Gormley under fire on first day
NEW Green Party Environment Minister John Gormley walked into a storm on his first day in office by suggesting he would be unable to reverse his predecessor’s decision to build the M3 over an historic monument near Tara.
Fine Gael claimed the Greens had been “politically emasculated” in their first hour in government, while Labour said inaction by Mr Gormley would prove his party’s involvement in the coalition was merely “a cosmetic exercise”.
On Tuesday, outgoing Environment Minister Dick Roche signed an order for the “preservation by record” of the prehistoric henge discovered at Lismullen, Co Meath, earlier this year.
“Preservation by record” involves archaeological sites or monuments being removed and photographic and written records made before construction begins.
Mr Roche said it would have been “mean-spirited” to leave such a “thorny decision” to an incoming minister. He said he made the decision based on advice from the department’s chief archaeologist and indicated the director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, supported the decision.
Dr Wallace could not be reached for comment last night, but Mr Roche insisted: “Pat Wallace was very complimentary in the correspondence he sent back to me, and he did accept that this was the appropriate way, so I made the decision.”
Asked if Mr Gormley had the power to review the situation, Mr Roche responded: “I don’t mind if he wishes to review it. I think in fact any minister sitting in my office in Custom House making the decision on the basis of that file would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck to him.”
Mr Gormley said his “initial view” was that he would not be able to overturn the decision, but said he would examine the file in the coming days and would also speak to Dr Wallace.
“I think it’s fair to say that I can’t really do anything about my predecessor’s decisions,” Mr Gormley said.
But Labour environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said his party had received legal advice suggesting Mr Gormley could overturn the decision. “The action Mr Gormley now takes will give us a clear indication as to whether there has been a genuine change of direction as the Greens claim, or whether the changes have been of a largely cosmetic nature,” he said.
Irish Examiner
Fine Gael claimed the Greens had been “politically emasculated” in their first hour in government, while Labour said inaction by Mr Gormley would prove his party’s involvement in the coalition was merely “a cosmetic exercise”.
On Tuesday, outgoing Environment Minister Dick Roche signed an order for the “preservation by record” of the prehistoric henge discovered at Lismullen, Co Meath, earlier this year.
“Preservation by record” involves archaeological sites or monuments being removed and photographic and written records made before construction begins.
Mr Roche said it would have been “mean-spirited” to leave such a “thorny decision” to an incoming minister. He said he made the decision based on advice from the department’s chief archaeologist and indicated the director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, supported the decision.
Dr Wallace could not be reached for comment last night, but Mr Roche insisted: “Pat Wallace was very complimentary in the correspondence he sent back to me, and he did accept that this was the appropriate way, so I made the decision.”
Asked if Mr Gormley had the power to review the situation, Mr Roche responded: “I don’t mind if he wishes to review it. I think in fact any minister sitting in my office in Custom House making the decision on the basis of that file would have made the decision I have made. I did the man some service by not passing the buck to him.”
Mr Gormley said his “initial view” was that he would not be able to overturn the decision, but said he would examine the file in the coming days and would also speak to Dr Wallace.
“I think it’s fair to say that I can’t really do anything about my predecessor’s decisions,” Mr Gormley said.
But Labour environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said his party had received legal advice suggesting Mr Gormley could overturn the decision. “The action Mr Gormley now takes will give us a clear indication as to whether there has been a genuine change of direction as the Greens claim, or whether the changes have been of a largely cosmetic nature,” he said.
Irish Examiner
Friday, 15 June 2007
In Court with the EPA
THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency (EPA) has been busy so far this year, successfully prosecuting six companies for pollution. Some of them are unlikely to be too bothered, however. Francis and Carol Mallon in Liffey Meats (Cavan) (LMC) are old hands at this pollution business, of course, and the EPA has prosecuted their Ballyjamesduff company no less than five times. This year's skirmish with the regulations saw LMC plead guilty to three charges relating to a lack of control over emissions into a local river. This landed the company with a paltry €2,000 fine in Virginia District Court, although Judge Seán McBride did throw in the EPA's costs of €13,000.
The secretive pair moved their cash offshore to the Isle of Man recently and now own LMC through the Douglas registered Touleen Unlimited, while LMC itself went unlimited last year and no longer has to file accounts. Before these manoeuvres, Touleen Ltd - the original holding company - boasted a whopping €9.5m in accumulated profits at the end of June 2004.
Another beef baron who will be similarly untroubled by an EPA prosecution is Liam Keating, the chief sibling in the family-owned Kepak (although this is run by John Horgan). Kepak Athleague, an unlimited Roscommon-based subsidiary, recently pleaded guilty to allowing too many emissions into the nearby River Suck and also for “providing the (EPA) with information that was false or misleading in a material respect”. According to the EPA, this had the potential to contaminate the river and Judge Browne imposed fines on Kepak Athleague totalling just €4,000 and awarded the EPA costs of €6,500. This is unlikely to cost directors Keating, Horgan, Bernard Mannion and Robert Grogan too much sleep.
Dynea Ireland Ltd, meanwhile, came off slightly worse down in Cobh District Court. This subsidiary of a Finnish industrial giant was recently hit with the biggest fine of the year so far, having pleaded guilty to four charges of letting off “non-compliant emissions” into the atmosphere. The company was found guilty of not providing this info to the EPA and Judge Michael Patwell slapped a €13,000 fine on Dynea Ireland, plus €10,000 in costs. The directors here - including Tom Vestli and Ilpo Jalmari Koivisto in Finland along with local boys Joseph Giltinan and Liam Moynihan - might be slightly more worried at this setback, considering accumulated losses here were €2.9m at the end of 2005.
© The Phoenix
The secretive pair moved their cash offshore to the Isle of Man recently and now own LMC through the Douglas registered Touleen Unlimited, while LMC itself went unlimited last year and no longer has to file accounts. Before these manoeuvres, Touleen Ltd - the original holding company - boasted a whopping €9.5m in accumulated profits at the end of June 2004.
Another beef baron who will be similarly untroubled by an EPA prosecution is Liam Keating, the chief sibling in the family-owned Kepak (although this is run by John Horgan). Kepak Athleague, an unlimited Roscommon-based subsidiary, recently pleaded guilty to allowing too many emissions into the nearby River Suck and also for “providing the (EPA) with information that was false or misleading in a material respect”. According to the EPA, this had the potential to contaminate the river and Judge Browne imposed fines on Kepak Athleague totalling just €4,000 and awarded the EPA costs of €6,500. This is unlikely to cost directors Keating, Horgan, Bernard Mannion and Robert Grogan too much sleep.
Dynea Ireland Ltd, meanwhile, came off slightly worse down in Cobh District Court. This subsidiary of a Finnish industrial giant was recently hit with the biggest fine of the year so far, having pleaded guilty to four charges of letting off “non-compliant emissions” into the atmosphere. The company was found guilty of not providing this info to the EPA and Judge Michael Patwell slapped a €13,000 fine on Dynea Ireland, plus €10,000 in costs. The directors here - including Tom Vestli and Ilpo Jalmari Koivisto in Finland along with local boys Joseph Giltinan and Liam Moynihan - might be slightly more worried at this setback, considering accumulated losses here were €2.9m at the end of 2005.
© The Phoenix
Councils to face the courts if EU water standards not met
COUNCILS will face prosecution through the courts and massive fines as stiff as €500,000 if they fail to maintain EU standards for drinking water.
Yesterday, outgoing environment minister Mr Dick Roche introduced revised regulations to provide for the increased penalties for contravention of drinking water regulations.
He said the increased penalty provisions are intended to be sufficiently dissuasive to ensure that they are effective.
Under the new regulations, county councils continue to be responsible for supervising group water schemes, and for monitoring all water supplies, including their own.
Local authority supplies are in turn supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring programmes are also subject to approval by the EPA, which is in turn required to supervise the performance by county councils of their monitoring functions.
“When I updated the drinking water regulations last March I indicated that additional provision would be made for increased penalties to reflect the potential serious consequences of offences under the regulations, as soon as the necessary legal authority became available. Following the recent enactment of the European Communities Act 2007, I am now in a position to fulfil this undertaking,” the minister said.
The new drinking water regulations provide, in addition to summary offences, for prosecution of offences on indictment. Maximum fines under the regulations will now be €500,000 following conviction on indictment, with related jails terms of up to three years.
“The monitoring and supervisory regimes provided for in the original regulations which I made last March continue to apply under these new regulations“, the minister said.
Failure to comply with requirements of the regulations or a direction issued by a supervisory authority under the regulations is an offence.
And a supervisory authority may now apply to the High Court for an injunction to direct the undertaking of a specific compliance requirement.
The regulations are an interim measure pending the implementation of the recently enacted Water Services Act in due course.
Mr Roche said the regulations place specific obligations on water suppliers to ensure that water supplies are wholesome and clean.
The new provisions have been developed in consultation with the EU Commission, the EPA and the Health Service Executive.
By Dan Collins
© Irish Examiner
Yesterday, outgoing environment minister Mr Dick Roche introduced revised regulations to provide for the increased penalties for contravention of drinking water regulations.
He said the increased penalty provisions are intended to be sufficiently dissuasive to ensure that they are effective.
Under the new regulations, county councils continue to be responsible for supervising group water schemes, and for monitoring all water supplies, including their own.
Local authority supplies are in turn supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring programmes are also subject to approval by the EPA, which is in turn required to supervise the performance by county councils of their monitoring functions.
“When I updated the drinking water regulations last March I indicated that additional provision would be made for increased penalties to reflect the potential serious consequences of offences under the regulations, as soon as the necessary legal authority became available. Following the recent enactment of the European Communities Act 2007, I am now in a position to fulfil this undertaking,” the minister said.
The new drinking water regulations provide, in addition to summary offences, for prosecution of offences on indictment. Maximum fines under the regulations will now be €500,000 following conviction on indictment, with related jails terms of up to three years.
“The monitoring and supervisory regimes provided for in the original regulations which I made last March continue to apply under these new regulations“, the minister said.
Failure to comply with requirements of the regulations or a direction issued by a supervisory authority under the regulations is an offence.
And a supervisory authority may now apply to the High Court for an injunction to direct the undertaking of a specific compliance requirement.
The regulations are an interim measure pending the implementation of the recently enacted Water Services Act in due course.
Mr Roche said the regulations place specific obligations on water suppliers to ensure that water supplies are wholesome and clean.
The new provisions have been developed in consultation with the EU Commission, the EPA and the Health Service Executive.
By Dan Collins
© Irish Examiner
Roche signed order to destroy monument
THE national monument discovered on the route of the controversial M3 motorway in Co Meath is to be destroyed.
In one of his last acts as Environment Minister, Dick Roche signed an order which will see the prehistoric ritual site razed and the motorway built over it.
The move is the first controversy to hit the new Government.
The Green Party has maintained that the M3 route should be diverted from the Hill of Tara.
Opponents of the road plan to 'lock down' the Lismullin site from this morning, pledging not to allow construction workers or archaeologists near the area.
Another group is to take legal action over the coming days in an effort to challenge the constitutionality of the National Monuments Act, and to stop the motorway from being built through the Tara/Skryne Valley.
The Department of the Environment confirmed last night that Mr Roche, who was demoted from the Cabinet yesterday, had signed the order allowing the monument to be preserved 'by record'. This means officials will examine the site and record its location and significance and items of interest - but it will ultimately be destroyed.
Experts believe the site is a henge, or ritual site, and could be up to 4,000 years old.
A spokesman said the order had been signed on the advice of the National Museum, which recommended that an extensive archaeological assessment be carried out before the monument was destroyed and the motorway built.
It is understood that Mr Roche signed the order last Tuesday, in one of his final acts as minister.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said he was "appalled" by the decision, adding that the Green Party would now have to defend the order. "We'll be meeting the lawyers first thing."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
In one of his last acts as Environment Minister, Dick Roche signed an order which will see the prehistoric ritual site razed and the motorway built over it.
The move is the first controversy to hit the new Government.
The Green Party has maintained that the M3 route should be diverted from the Hill of Tara.
Opponents of the road plan to 'lock down' the Lismullin site from this morning, pledging not to allow construction workers or archaeologists near the area.
Another group is to take legal action over the coming days in an effort to challenge the constitutionality of the National Monuments Act, and to stop the motorway from being built through the Tara/Skryne Valley.
The Department of the Environment confirmed last night that Mr Roche, who was demoted from the Cabinet yesterday, had signed the order allowing the monument to be preserved 'by record'. This means officials will examine the site and record its location and significance and items of interest - but it will ultimately be destroyed.
Experts believe the site is a henge, or ritual site, and could be up to 4,000 years old.
A spokesman said the order had been signed on the advice of the National Museum, which recommended that an extensive archaeological assessment be carried out before the monument was destroyed and the motorway built.
It is understood that Mr Roche signed the order last Tuesday, in one of his final acts as minister.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said he was "appalled" by the decision, adding that the Green Party would now have to defend the order. "We'll be meeting the lawyers first thing."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Conditions could delay Ikea store until 2010
SWEDISH furniture retailer Ikea has been given the green light by An Bord Pleanála to build its first outlet in the Republic of Ireland, although the planned opening of the controversial superstore could face delays due to a number of planning conditions.
Ikea, one the best-known brands across Europe due to the success of its flat-pack furniture, will locate its new store just off the M50 motorway in Ballymun.
The company originally hoped it could open the large, 30,600 sq² facility in May 2008. However, An Bord Pleanála has ruled that the store cannot open until the upgrade of the M50 near Ballymun is completed, along with work on access roads to the store.
The National RoadsAuthority has estimated that the relevant section of the M50 might not be finished until 2010.
However, an Ikea spokesperson said yesterday that the company hoped its Irish store could still open for business by September 2008.
The ruling means that thousands of Irish shoppers who travel to Britain annually to visit Ikea stores in Glasgow and Manchester are likely to continue with such trips for now.
Ikea’s first outlet in the North is scheduled to open in east Belfast by the end of the year.
Yesterday’s decision has been welcomed by Ikea, as well as business interests including the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Ballymun Regeneration — the Dublin City Council company overseeing the redesign of the north Dublin suburb.
Ciarán Murray, managing director of Ballymun Regeneration, said the Ikea outlet would directly employ 500 staff as well as attracting thousands of visitors to the area.
As part of the planning conditions imposed by ABP, Ikea must provide a regular shuttle bus to Ballymun town centre.
The company must also implement a system of parking charges during peak hours for almost 2,000 parking spaces — in order to limit the number of vehicles using the store at busy times.
In order to minimise the effect on M50 traffic, the store will not be allowed to open before 11am on weekdays and must remain open until 10pm, or 8pm on Saturdays and 7pm on Sundays and public holidays.
Ikea must also provide a home delivery service within 12 months of starting trading in order to encourage customers to use public transport. In its first year of operations, Ikea will also be forced to close its store during the annual pre-Christmas “Operation Freeflow” traffic programme in Dublin.
The ABP decision brings to an end the long-running saga that began when the Government altered its own retail planning guidelines in 2005 to facilitate the Swedish furniture group — raising the size limit on big shopping outlets.
A Fingal County Council grant of planning permission to Ikea last October was appealed by the Green Party, the NRA, Tesco, the Grafton Group, Treasury Holdings and the Irish Hardware Association.
Ikea in Ireland: what’s in store
IRISH DIY enthusiasts will soon be able to enjoy the flat-pack furniture that has made Ikea a household name around the world.
Although some uncertainty still surrounds the exact opening date for the company’s first outlet in the Republic, its proposed store at Ballymun is certain to become a huge hit with householders.
The Swedish furniture retailer already operates 284 stores in 36 countries, which were visited by a total of more than 504 million customers last year.
As an example of the scale of its operations, Ikea’s annual turnover in 2006 reached €17.6 billion, while 174 million copies of its free catalogue was printed last year.
The Ballymun store, which is set on a 100-acre site, will carry almost 10,000 product lines.
“Irish customers will enjoy the full product range from day one at Ballymun,” said Ikea spokesman Gary Deacon.
The retail space will consist of a showroom, 500-seater restaurant, Swedish food hall and creche as well as parking spaces for almost 2,000 cars and 12 coaches.
Its Dublin store will be similar to its Glasgow outlet in size.
www.ikea.com
Irish Examiner
Ikea, one the best-known brands across Europe due to the success of its flat-pack furniture, will locate its new store just off the M50 motorway in Ballymun.
The company originally hoped it could open the large, 30,600 sq² facility in May 2008. However, An Bord Pleanála has ruled that the store cannot open until the upgrade of the M50 near Ballymun is completed, along with work on access roads to the store.
The National RoadsAuthority has estimated that the relevant section of the M50 might not be finished until 2010.
However, an Ikea spokesperson said yesterday that the company hoped its Irish store could still open for business by September 2008.
The ruling means that thousands of Irish shoppers who travel to Britain annually to visit Ikea stores in Glasgow and Manchester are likely to continue with such trips for now.
Ikea’s first outlet in the North is scheduled to open in east Belfast by the end of the year.
Yesterday’s decision has been welcomed by Ikea, as well as business interests including the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Ballymun Regeneration — the Dublin City Council company overseeing the redesign of the north Dublin suburb.
Ciarán Murray, managing director of Ballymun Regeneration, said the Ikea outlet would directly employ 500 staff as well as attracting thousands of visitors to the area.
As part of the planning conditions imposed by ABP, Ikea must provide a regular shuttle bus to Ballymun town centre.
The company must also implement a system of parking charges during peak hours for almost 2,000 parking spaces — in order to limit the number of vehicles using the store at busy times.
In order to minimise the effect on M50 traffic, the store will not be allowed to open before 11am on weekdays and must remain open until 10pm, or 8pm on Saturdays and 7pm on Sundays and public holidays.
Ikea must also provide a home delivery service within 12 months of starting trading in order to encourage customers to use public transport. In its first year of operations, Ikea will also be forced to close its store during the annual pre-Christmas “Operation Freeflow” traffic programme in Dublin.
The ABP decision brings to an end the long-running saga that began when the Government altered its own retail planning guidelines in 2005 to facilitate the Swedish furniture group — raising the size limit on big shopping outlets.
A Fingal County Council grant of planning permission to Ikea last October was appealed by the Green Party, the NRA, Tesco, the Grafton Group, Treasury Holdings and the Irish Hardware Association.
Ikea in Ireland: what’s in store
IRISH DIY enthusiasts will soon be able to enjoy the flat-pack furniture that has made Ikea a household name around the world.
Although some uncertainty still surrounds the exact opening date for the company’s first outlet in the Republic, its proposed store at Ballymun is certain to become a huge hit with householders.
The Swedish furniture retailer already operates 284 stores in 36 countries, which were visited by a total of more than 504 million customers last year.
As an example of the scale of its operations, Ikea’s annual turnover in 2006 reached €17.6 billion, while 174 million copies of its free catalogue was printed last year.
The Ballymun store, which is set on a 100-acre site, will carry almost 10,000 product lines.
“Irish customers will enjoy the full product range from day one at Ballymun,” said Ikea spokesman Gary Deacon.
The retail space will consist of a showroom, 500-seater restaurant, Swedish food hall and creche as well as parking spaces for almost 2,000 cars and 12 coaches.
Its Dublin store will be similar to its Glasgow outlet in size.
www.ikea.com
Irish Examiner