Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is now around 14 years since a Member of this House, Senator Tom Morrissey, convened a conference, A New Heart for Dublin, in Dublin Castle. My recollection is that Senator Norris chaired that conference. The proposal was that Dublin Port should be removed from its current location to Bremore in north County Dublin. A high-rise redevelopment of the centre of the city would then take place on the lands vacated by the port. I mention this because I notice in today's newspapers that there is a reference to Dublin City Council adopting a plan to have buildings of up to 25 storeys in what is termed "docklands".

We should consider two points and this House is the proper forum to do that because this is not just a local issue. This is the capital of the country and this concerns its future. The first point is whether the docklands area should be redeveloped while Dublin's port remains in its current low-rise location immediately adjoining it. The second point, then, is whether the infrastructural decisions now being made about Dublin should take account of a proposal to build a high-rise core to the city between the Custom House and Dublin Bay. I will mention briefly in passing that Senator Morrissey's proposal was visionary at the time and is still valid. The conference in question, chaired by Senator Norris, was addressed by people such as Frank McDonald and Anthony Reddy, the architect, as well as various other people from the Dublin tourism sector. That vision for Dublin foresaw cruise ships coming into the city. We now, however, have Dublin Port trying to get rid of cruise liners because they are excessive. It was also suggested that the industrial aspect of Dublin Port should be relocated to Bremore in north Dublin.I should also mention that this was retaliated against by Dublin Port Company in a most savage way. It put up advertising hoardings across the city to try to rally opposition to it and reported former Senator Morrissey to the Standards in Public Office Commission. It claimed that people who had participated in the conference and paid the fee were making a contribution to a political party and that the Senator had not declared this. We need those in charge, specifically the Ministers, Deputies Eoghan Murphy and Shane Ross, to come to the House to have a debate on the future structure of and planning in the city of Dublin. We need a broad-ranging debate on whether former Senator Morrissey's visionary plan for Dublin is the way forward or whether vested interests in the form of the Dublin Port Company and its desire to remain located at its current position should win out. I ask the Leader to arrange a full and participative debate that would include Members not just from Dublin but also from across the country. A clear vision should be stated by the Government as to where it sees the city of Dublin developing and how it envisages the installation of the necessary infrastructure for such development.