Sir, – In relation to Olivia Kelly's article on Dublin City Councillors blocking the sale of the Manhattan Cafe (Home News, May 16th).
Dublin City Council has claimed the area is “unsuitable for housing”. I can only assume they failed to look up during their “extensive assessment,” for had they done so, they would see multiple existing apartments on this block, located over the (now closed) businesses.
I live a stone’s throw from the Manhattan Cafe and directly opposite my apartment is an identical block of apartments that has been sitting empty for over two years.
With this latest debacle, Dublin City Council has not only taken liberties with the truth, but it has threatened to hold funds hostage unless it got its way. The council has allowed liveable apartments to lie idle and has approved more offices to be built without any regard or care for where those workers would actually live.
One could be forgiven for thinking they don’t care about the housing crisis at all. – Yours, etc,
GEMMA KIERNAN,
Dublin 2