Madam, - The people of Dun Laoghaire - and I as one of their elected councillors - face a dilemma because of the failure of Government to fund a leisure facility on the old baths site. I want the public amenities that are proposed but I am opposed to, and will vote against, the building of any high-rise development on the seafront at Dun Laoghaire in order to fund them. We shouldn't have to decide between high-rise with amenities, and no amenities.
There is a real need for the sort of facilities proposed, including a swimming pool, waterworld, public park and café, particularly for our young people. A local authority simply doesn't have the resources to provide these out of its own resources without affecting essential services such as footpath repair, libraries and public housing maintenance.
The Government seems to have the money to waste on electronic voting machines and an overpriced prison site but not for necessary public amenities. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council recently approved a motion asking the three Government TDs in the Dun Laoghaire constituency to lobby for the funding.
Despite all the high profile posturing locally by representatives of both Government parties on this issue they have failed to persuade their colleagues in Government. Indeed, my understanding is that only one of the three TDs even bothered to reply to the council. This is another case of all talk but no delivery, and in this case it is Dun Laoghaire that suffers. - Yours, etc,
Cllr MARIE BAKER (Fine Gael), Blackrock, Co Dublin.