Letters to the Editor 1 2005-09-16

There has been much discussion recently in the media about the scandal of Ireland's oil and gas resources being given away free of charge to international oil companies and also about the need to protect our coastline from the greed of developers.

There has been much discussion recently in the media about the scandal of Ireland's oil and gas resources being given away free of charge to international oil companies and also about the need to protect our coastline from the greed of developers.

One of the most alarming threats to Ireland's coastline is the completely unacceptable proposal for the development of the Dún Laoghaire Baths site, put forward by officials of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, which includes 180 apartments and a ten storey tower on the seafront at Scotsman's Bay. This proposal has been met by the strong and determined opposition of many thousands of people living in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area.

We surely must recognise that these are two aspects of the same issue. It is vital, before it becomes too late, for the people of Ireland to demand of our representatives that the irreplaceable natural heritage of our coastline and sea be managed in the national interest, and not in the interests of private commercial enterprises.

The tenth of October, the date on which the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council will make a decision on the Dún Laoghaire Baths site, is approaching. The Council will vote on whether an enormous private apartment block on the Dún Laoghaire Baths public amenity site gets the go-ahead.

It seems that a majority of Councillors are still for entrusting the site to private developers. All seven Fianna Fáil councillors appear to be for doing so – some enthusiastically – and, incredibly, calling for an even higher structure. In spite of some Fine Gael and Labour councillors declaring against, the majority of these parties' councillors seem to be for giving this public amenity site over to private developers.

As a concerned citizen, I am calling for a coalition of Save Our Seafront, An Taisce and Combined Residents to Save Open Space to pursue linkages and a common platform with residents' associations around Dublin Bay from Greystones to Howth and throughout Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. Moreover, this united front should show solidarity with the Rossport Five campaign because there is a common objective to stop, once and for all, the selling off of Ireland's natural resources and public amenities.

This will become a general election issue.

Bob Waddell
Sandycove, Co Dublin