Sir, I was extremely surprised that Emmet Oliver, in his major article on O'Connell Street (June 14th) made no reference to the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission.
This commission was established in 1986 by the then Minister for the Environment, John Boland. Its specific purpose was to secure the comprehensive improvement of the main streets in the city from St Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, College Green, Westmoreland Street to O'Connell Street. The commission had wide powers to tackle many aspects of the problems which are still besetting the area and O'Connell Street in particular.
I had the honour and privilege to be a consultant to the commission and together we produced a comprehensive outline plan indicating a wide range of improvement. Unfortunately, one of the first acts of the Haughey government in 1987 was to disband the commission and that was the end of what could have been a renaissance for O'Connell Street.
The incoming Ahern government could, if it wished, direct its mind to the improvement of this part of the capital, not least O'Connell Street. The Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission Act 1986 is on the statute book and the ideas formulated by the commission are still highly relevant. - Yours, etc.,
Lower Ormond Quay,
Dublin 1.