TRADITIONAL STALL holders on Dublin’s O’Connell Street say they should be compensated for having to close down during former British prime minister Tony Blair’s book signing tomorrow.
A section of O’Connell Street will be cordoned off for security purposes when Mr Blair signs copies of his autobiography, A Journey, in Eason store.
There are three “pitches” on the pavement outside Eason – a newspaper vendor, a fruit stall and a women’s accessories stall.
Mr Blair is scheduled to sign copies of the book between 11am and noon. However, gardaí will have a security cordon in place from early morning until 1pm.
The owners are unhappy that they will not be allowed to erect their stalls during Mr Blair’s visit, on what is the busiest day of the week.
The security cordon has been put in place because of the large numbers likely to attend, as well as an expected protest from anti-Iraq war protesters.
Gareth Smith runs a newspaper and magazine stall that has been there since the 1920s. He said he had been told to move it up to the General Post Office for the duration of the visit. He said that was as good as asking him to close. He usually opens at 7.30am and said the morning period is his busiest.
“It’s unfair. Why should I have to move my pitch because of a book signing in Easons?” he said.
“I understand where the gardaí are coming from. It’s a security issue. But there should be some compensation for having to move. Easons is going to profit from it. But we are going to lose.”
The call for compensation has been supported by local TD Maureen O’Sullivan. The Independent TD for Dublin Central said the stallholders would suffer a loss of earnings on a day that would be very busy for them.
“They have no alternative because they have specific pitches that they cannot change,” she said.
Frank Geraghty from Cafe Aroma on Middle Abbey Street said his coffee shop will be within the security cordon. He said there has been a lack of clarity about the arrangements, which he said has left him not knowing whether to open his cafe that day. “Effectively I am as good as closed. I am caught in the middle. The natural footfall will not be there and people will not be able to get in and out of the cafe,” he said.
