Ó Ríordáin raises issue of Clontarf flood defences on the floor of the House
Issued : Thursday 13 October, 2011
Speaking in Dáil Éireann on Clontarf Road Flood Defences
"Thanks Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue. I will just go through the timeline of this matter.
"In September 2005 the Clontarf Promenade Steering Committee considered different options for the flood defence/arterial water main works and decided on "Option 5" consisting of walls/bunds containing water mains. No public representatives, residents groups or business groups are represented on this committee. However, the EIS states that the 'main stakeholders' were present.
The minutes of the meeting indicate that Council officials realised, even at that point, the need to provide clear images and drawings for the public consultation process. This recommendation was not pursued. There is no evidence of any consultation with public reps or the general public taking place prior to this decision being taken.
"On 12th June 2006, a consultation evening was held in St. Anthony's Parish Church in Clontarf on the scope of the information to be included in the Environmental Impact Statement. Residents groups were invited. However, according to the Council's email of Tuesday 11th October, the public consultation process on the flood defences/arterial water mains did not commence until 3rd December 2007, so this meeting cannot be considered to have been part of that process, and indeed the EIS had not even been completed at that stage.
"Rather than a meeting where plans were presented and feedback sought, this seems to have been a meeting about what information the public wanted included in the Environmental Impact Statement as a first step.
"In November 2007 all residents groups were written to informing them that Dublin City Council were about to apply to An Bord Pleanala for Planning Permission through the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement (as yet unseen by residents, businesses or local representatives) and that a period of public consultation would take place. These letters also pointed out that the full details of the project were to be on public display for a period of eight weeks in Dublin City Council Civic Offices, in Marino Library and on the DCC website - none of which are in the Clontarf area itself.
"On 3rd December 2007, this submission and public consultation was further advertised in the Irish Independent and this date was "the commencement of the public consultation period."
"Moreover, on 4th December 2007, Dublin City Council applied to An Bord Pleanala for permission for the works as outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement, first advertised to the public one day previously.
"In July of 2008 the planning permission was granted by An Bord Pleanala.
"However, I wish to point out that there is no evidence of any involvement of either public representatives, residents or local businesses prior to a decision being made in September 2005 (Clontarf Promenade Steering Committee, DCC) that the preferred option for the works was for bunds/walls rather than four other options under consideration.
"Although DCC have accepted that the height recommendation changed after plans were first presented to local councillors in 2006, this change was not communicated and no supplemental presentation was ever made detailing the alterations or the reasons held by DCC for departing from the original proposal.
"Prior to the planning application being made to An Bord Pleanala in December 2007, no public representatives or residents groups had sight of a completed EIS or had an opportunity to feedback or comment on it. The EIS was made available on the 3rd December. The application was made to ABP on the 4th December.
"As a result, the only opportunity these stakeholders had to input to the process was that afforded to them by the An Bord Pleanala system, at a cost of 50 euro per objection/observation, at a point when the application had already been drawn up without stakeholder input on the EIS and submitted. It is also worth noting that the EIS is a 350 page document and it was released in Christmas month.
"Although the EIS was made available after the application had been made to An Bord Pleanala, it was not ever available at any public location in Clontarf. Notification of its whereabouts was given to residents groups, many of which may not be active or may not have the full participation of communities in Clontarf, and many of which dispute ever receiving the notification. The notification was also placed in the Irish Independent for one day.
"No changes were made to the Council's application after its original submission date of 4th December, the day after public notice was given of the consultation process.
"Therefore, I would like to conclude by asking the Minister will he give his response on the following three points:
"-Will he review briefing documents that I can forward to his Department in relation to this matter?
"-Will he assess this issue taking into consideration the EU Directive on Habitats?
"-And finally, will his Department and the Office of Public Works engage with the Insurance Federation, taking into consideration the effect these measures have for homeowners and small businesses acquiring insurance in the area?"
