Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The reality is that the regeneration programme has not been completed and shopping facilities for the people of Ballymun are virtually non-existent. That is a tragedy for the people of the area and all those who have to travel to the Blanchardstown shopping centre, the Omni Park shopping centre and the Charlestown shopping centre. They should be able to shop in their own community where they meet their neighbours, have a coffee or drop into the public house to have a drink - all the normal things people expect to do in a place with such a large population. The population of Ballymun will exceed 20,000 in the coming years. I am hopeful metro north will go through Ballymun. We have been given a commitment in that regard and I hope it is not reneged on because it would be a lifeline not just for the area but also for people accessing the airport and travelling across the city. There are considerable environmental issues attached to that project.

I do not know any other area that has been as badly treated as Ballymun. I accept that some matters were beyond the control of Dublin City Council but the situation is not good enough. The shopping centre comes up at every meeting I attend in Ballymun, including forum meetings with residents. People want to know where they can meet their neighbours, as they did previously, so as to recreate their community spirit. In the context of the proposed consultation, there is much evidence from many meetings to show us what the people of Ballymun want.

I urge Dublin City Council to address this issue. We accept we have to build houses and we have to do all of these things because the situation is urgent. However, we cannot do it at the expense of leaving a community like Ballymun without the facilities they should have and that they had in the past. It is imperative that we do this.

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