A hundred years and €1bn to turn port into suburb

A PROPOSAL to transform Dublin Port into a suburban centre would cost €1bn and take a century, according to a new report.

It is opposed to the port being relocated further along the coast as is currently proposed.

And it says the huge city centre site should not be redeveloped for housing and commercial use as the benefits would not justify the costs.

The study by Indecon Economic Consultants, to be published today, warns there is a "danger to the Irish economy" if plans to provide additional capacity in Dublin and a new port at Bremore in north Co Dublin do not go ahead.

Sprawl

The report, seen by the Irish Independent , was carried out on behalf of the Department of Transport and sets out a range of options for the 532-acre site in the heart of the capital.

A previous study commissioned by Dublin City Council suggested that up to 55,000 homes could be built there, helping to curb urban sprawl, but the Indecon report says the cost of removing decades of pollution could run to almost €1bn.

Assuming that the property market improves and that the land can be developed, it could take up to a century to transform the port area into a suburb of the city.

The study stresses the strategic importance of the port to the economy, noting that over 40pc of national tonnage passes through it and that it plays a highly important role in terms of fast-moving, high-value cargos.

Paul Melia
Irish Independent

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