Like the truce in World War one. You can put all hostilities aside for the beautiful game of soccer.
Government refuses to fund ā¬25m Dublin whitewater rafting project
Dublin City Councilās controversial Georgeās Dock plan cast into doubt after decision
Controversial plans for a ā¬25 million whitewater rafting attraction in Dublinās docklands have been delivered a major setback after the Government refused a request to fund the project.
Dublin City Council sought ā¬19 million towards the cost of the Georgeās Dock scheme under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a ā¬2 billion pot set aside for the rejuvenation of Irish cities and large towns.
However, Minister for Local Government Darragh OāBrien, whose department oversees the fund, has turned down the request.
āAny plans for the further advancement of this or any other proposed development for Georgeās Dock is a matter for Dublin City Council,ā he said in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond.
The council confirmed the latest estimated cost for the attraction, which it insists would be a major tourist draw, has reached ā¬25.4 million. When first proposed, the council estimated it would cost ā¬12 million.
Asked for comment on the Governmentās refusal to back the proposal under the URDF, a council spokeswoman said: āDublin City Council has nothing further to add.ā
Tender
The council in January sought expressions of interest from builders for the contract to develop the attraction, noting in a preliminary tender that the plan was āsubject to fundingā. The tender process was initiated āto get a more realistic cost estimateā and the council said a final decision would be made once costs and funding options had been assessed.
āNo additional council funding can be allocated to the project and no additional borrowing can be undertaken without the approval of the elected members,ā the council said.
Mr Richmond said he would be āsceptical enough about the project, compared to other things that could be happeningā in the city. He suggested that building an outdoor swimming pool or lido could be a āmore appropriate and more cost-effectiveā use for the site.
The Dublin Rathdown TD said providing central Government funding for the proposal would have been āquite controversialā and suggested that the Ministerās refusal to fund it may ācast a bit of a shadow over the projectā.
āIf Dublin City Council can make the case that this is a national sporting necessity, then more power to them. It is back to the council and its councillors now to support it,ā he said.
Hard to have seen this coming.
Disappointing. Nothing will get done for years. The Twitter mob and politicians who lack confidence are stopping anything with vision happening.
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Thatās a fortnightās PUP paid for anyway.
An outdoor swim venue would send shares in dry-robe through the roof.
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You canāt build anything.
Thereās homeless people.
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Even the Government are NIMBYING with the LDA feuding with DCC and Catherine Martin blocking development in Dundrum.
You get nothing done in Dublin
The Department of Housing are appealing a development atm.
And you have Catherine Martin getting her NIMBY suit on as well out in Dundrum.
Weāre in a housing crisis supposedly but politicians of all persuasion want to keep outdoor activity closed because of a mobility index.
Youād have to wonder where we will be in 5 years with all this carry on.
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What development were they looking to get through in Dundrum?
Liam Lalor was getting shit done and they kilt him
And blackened his name in the papers.
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Catherine Martin, the Green Party minister, has written to the housing minister and the Land Development Agency (LDA) to voice concerns about the density and height of a planned 1,300-home development on the site of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum in south Dublin.
The LDA, a government agency, is redeveloping the site, with a fast-track planning application expected to be sent to An Bord Pleanala this summer. The early plans outlined to residents include core buildings that range from six to 14 storeys in height
Too tall and not in keeping with the area apparently.
Tbf, 14 storeys is a far whack.
The man was only doing a bitta service
within walking distance of the luas, seems like a grand spot to me.
Although maybe the new Green policy is for houses out in the suburbs and drive into town instead of housing beside existing transport infrastructure (cc @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy)
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there will be no roads to drive into town
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One off houses in the countryside beside greenways.
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Presumably that would have a massive impact of the capacity of an already overstretched LUAS Line?