Draft Letter to Elected Representatives:
Re: Harbours Bill 2015
Dear
I live in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and am a regular user of our lovely Late Georgian Harbour. I would like to express my concern over the future governance of the Harbour.
As I understand it the Harbours Bill, currently making its way through the Houses of the Oireachtas, will decide the future governance of Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
There are apparently, 2 options for our Harbour:
The public hearing into the plans for a Cruise Berth for Super-sized Cruise Ships in the Harbour recently before An Bord Pleanala revealed a disturbing lack of judgement on the part of the company responsible for managing the harbour resources.
The evidence adduced demonstrated a lack of consideration of the community stakeholders in favour of an unelected and unrepresentative alliance namely, the “Dun Laoghaire Cruise Stakeholder Group” comprising the Harbour Company, the executive of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co and the local BID company. Throughout the 4 week hearing we were exposed to extraordinary revelations of waste of public funds on what is at best a project of dubious provenance. The shocking truth is that the present corporate management appears to be immune to any semblance of accountability.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is unique in this State with its historic piers and one square kilometre of protected sea water that has been used by generations of people for recreation, freely and without any restrictions. 1 million people walk the famous East Pier every year. Dun Laoghaire Harbour has always struck a fine balance between commercial and leisure, the current Harbour Company seems to favour moving everything towards commercial at the expense of the public leisure amenity.
I appeal to you as an elected representative of the people to support the amendments to the legislation now before the houses of the Oireachtas. In the interest of local democracy and for the sake of proper and transparent governance the existence of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company must be terminated. Its unencumbered assets should then be transferred to the local authority.
The future of Dun Laoghaire Harbour should be secured by devolving the decision making process to the elected representatives of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the harbour stakeholders and its various community groups.
Yours sincerely.
Re: Harbours Bill 2015
Dear
I live in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown and am a regular user of our lovely Late Georgian Harbour. I would like to express my concern over the future governance of the Harbour.
As I understand it the Harbours Bill, currently making its way through the Houses of the Oireachtas, will decide the future governance of Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
There are apparently, 2 options for our Harbour:
- Either the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company will continue to exist but the Chief Executive of the Council will become the main shareholder of the Harbour instead of the Minister for Transport, or
- the Harbour Company will be dissolved and the Harbour will be integrated fully into the Council.
The public hearing into the plans for a Cruise Berth for Super-sized Cruise Ships in the Harbour recently before An Bord Pleanala revealed a disturbing lack of judgement on the part of the company responsible for managing the harbour resources.
The evidence adduced demonstrated a lack of consideration of the community stakeholders in favour of an unelected and unrepresentative alliance namely, the “Dun Laoghaire Cruise Stakeholder Group” comprising the Harbour Company, the executive of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co and the local BID company. Throughout the 4 week hearing we were exposed to extraordinary revelations of waste of public funds on what is at best a project of dubious provenance. The shocking truth is that the present corporate management appears to be immune to any semblance of accountability.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is unique in this State with its historic piers and one square kilometre of protected sea water that has been used by generations of people for recreation, freely and without any restrictions. 1 million people walk the famous East Pier every year. Dun Laoghaire Harbour has always struck a fine balance between commercial and leisure, the current Harbour Company seems to favour moving everything towards commercial at the expense of the public leisure amenity.
I appeal to you as an elected representative of the people to support the amendments to the legislation now before the houses of the Oireachtas. In the interest of local democracy and for the sake of proper and transparent governance the existence of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company must be terminated. Its unencumbered assets should then be transferred to the local authority.
The future of Dun Laoghaire Harbour should be secured by devolving the decision making process to the elected representatives of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the harbour stakeholders and its various community groups.
Yours sincerely.