Ms Anu Meehan:

My name is Anu Meehan. I am a citizen representing Prospect Architectural Conservation Area, ACA. I am here today with Ms Elaine Gahan, who is also a member of the committee. I am also representing the wider community.

Our ACA is a residential enclave located east of Glasnevin Cemetery and the National Botanic Gardens, 2 km north of the city centre. Our ACA is described by Dublin City Council as:

An oasis of calm and tranquillity set against the backdrop of the trees of Glasnevin Cemetery and Botanic Gardens. The area is special because of the historical association with Glasnevin Cemetery, having the original entrance to the cemetery with surviving gate and gate lodge, historical pub associated with the cemetery and the main access route, Prospect Avenue, having its origins in the opening of the cemetery. It is the overall policy of Dublin City Council to protect and conserve the character and setting of the ACA.

We also embrace progress and are committed to community development and inclusivity.

I, as well as the group I am representing, first became aware of the MetroLink project through the media and while seeing surveyors on Prospect Avenue taking measurements. When I sought information, I was given the contact details of TII. There had been no prior contact from TII indicating that there would be any impact in our area. We attended the public consultation in Glasnevin Cemetery and other members of the community attended the consultation at the Helix with National Transport Authority, NTA, and TII. In both venues residents were given conflicting information and were left with many unanswered questions and a lack of clarity.

In light of the information obtained through the public consultation, Prospect ACA residents’ group sought feedback from local residents likely to be impacted by the emerging preferred route. With considerable effort we managed to find the relevant reports on the MetroLink website. Finding the Alignment Options report – a 362-page report - was onerous in and of itself. The information booklet from NTA-TII issued as part of the public consultation process contains conflicting information relative to the website. From the numerous maps available, it was extremely difficult to identify which properties would be impacted by the emerging preferred route. One map within a document on the MetroLink website showed a slight variation of the same route. The implications of this was that residents were unsure whether or not the lines will run underneath their properties. There is still confusion.

After attending the public consultation events and in order to understand this process and seek clarity for members of our community, we arranged a meeting with Deputy Noel Rock. A meeting with the entire resident cohort and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, followed. Although we are grateful for our public representatives’ time and input, we are still left with many unanswered questions.

Feedback and concerns raised by members of our community encompass many areas, including the impact on our ACA, the iconic historic buildings, our community, health and safety, education and the implications for private homes and businesses. Many of our residents have raised concerns regarding the public consultation process. The process makes no distinction between those residents who are directly affected and those indirectly affected and, as previously highlighted, we have had no contact from NTA and very little from TII.

The period from the opening of the public consultation on 22 March to the submission date of 11 May 2018 is extremely short for ordinary citizens affected by this to comprehend the complexities of the work done by NTA and TII, which took years to complete with experts and a large budget. For us, we have just a small number of weeks to wade through cumbersome documents, reports, maps and statistics without any level of expertise or funding. The following is an example of how difficult it is to find and comprehend information provided in the reports impacting our ACA. From a 362 page document – once found - the reader is then re-directed to a different report, which fails to provide any clarity.

The age profile of the properties in this area ranges from 1833 to 1905.

The vast majority of the ACA properties have no foundations; they were built on soil and rubble. There is no precedent in Ireland for tunnelling under properties such as these. As members will appreciate, many of our residents’ concerns relate to potential structural damage to their properties. These concerns relate to all stages of the project, including long-term concerns such as structural issues emerging once the project is completed and while trains are running under their properties every two minutes. Residents have not been contacted or reassured that structural surveys will be undertaken prior to, during or after this project. No information has been provided regarding compensation, should this prove necessary, and the timeframe in which to pursue it.

Within our ACA, there are many iconic historic buildings, such as the Brian Boru pub, mentioned in James Joyce’s Ulysses, which appear to have been proposed for compulsory purchase order, and this has also not been clarified. The impact of a major train station in an area which, to date, has not even had a minor train station has not been addressed. This is no mere underground station; the scale of the proposed station is running from the Royal Canal to Dalcassian apartments, which is proposed for CPO. The iconic Brian Boru pub appears to be earmarked for destruction as part of this rail station development. The impact of this proposed major train station will require a socioeconomic impact analysis. At the moment, there is no reference in the proposal to the impact of this proposed station on the social fabric of an historic and well-established part of the city, not least of which would be the additional security measures that would be required and which are a necessary element of any major rail station.

Other concerns relate to the construction phase which has been estimated to be between two and six years. Again, there has been no clarity from the NTA on this. These concerns include some of the following: increased construction traffic in an already heavily congested area; parking; noise and dust pollution; and the health and safety of our residents with an estimated 100 trucks entering and exiting the proposed TBM site daily, which is in close proximity to our ACA. No clarity has been provided in respect of the working hours of trucks and the times at which boring will take place. As we have heard already, the TBM site has serious implications for the education, health, safety and sporting and recreational activity of approximately 800 children. It will be decimating a mini-Gaeltacht area.

As an ACA, we work tirelessly to improve and enhance the aesthetics of our environment. We are concerned and we are seeking reassurance that our ACA will be restored to its original state once the project is complete. In addition, we seek clarity on whether there will be one or two tunnels and the implications of vibrations resulting from this for our properties.

The decision to choose this emerging preferred route appears to have been made on economic grounds, rather than on taking into consideration our culture, history, architecture, health, education, sporting amenities and the impact on our community. Although the presence of an ACA is mentioned in the reports, no details are given of the impact this will have on our ACA and its residents.

We ask that a socioeconomic impact analysis be carried out to address the impact of a major rail station at the proposed site. We also ask that the public consultation process be extended so that all those who will be affected will be given accurate information as to what this development entails and the implications for individuals at all stages of the process. This extended public consultation process should indicate all the options considered and the reason for choosing this route ahead of all the others in order for this to be a fully transparent public consultation.