JOE HARVEY,
Madam, - What a country we live in! Within 48 hours of the return from holidays of the Minister for Transport, Dublin City Council - which is responsible for traffic management in the City - rips down its new traffic signs.
Months later, with the signage poles still bare, city councillors realise that they had not read the plan approved by them for O'Connell Street and start to scrunch the gears into reverse. ("That was in the small print," one declared on RTÉ about to the replacement of trees which is integral to the plan.)
As for the notion that all urban trees are worth preserving for all time, I suggest a look at College Green/Foster Place. In my view the trees detract significantly from the vistas of the old Parliament House, perhaps the finest building in the City.
Incidentally, when you approach the front façade of that building from Grafton Street, you are greeted in the space of a few square metres, by two Eircom phone boxes, two ITG Group canopied phones, three large metal boxes for utilities, two traffic signal installations and a large City Council electronic indicator of parking availability. Visitors must account this the work of a madman in such a sensitive and historic space.
No doubt, after the latest intervention by the City Council on O'Connell Street we will be left with another planning dog's dinner as the vision is ditched.
But who cares? Many visitors will not find what they want anyway: you see, there are no signs. - Yours, etc.,
P.D. DOYLE, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3.
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Madam, - Your Editorial of November 13th and the general coverage of the O'Connell Street plan in The Irish Times was most welcome and in marked contrast to some of the hysteria of other reports - particularly in the broadcast media.
I am delighted at this new-found interest in Dublin City expressed by so many commentators, some of whom at least have not previously been noted for their concerns for this city or the people who live and work here.
This whole saga will, I hope encourage Dubliners to engage actively in the process of local government decision making and just as important maybe encourage the media to report on city council issues as decisions are being made and not four years later.
Anybody with comments or suggestions as to how we can collectively make Dublin an even better city is welcome to contact me at the address below. - Yours, etc.,
Cllr DERMOT LACEY, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Castle Street, Dublin 2.
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Madam, - I find it very interesting to hear so many voices against the removal of the trees in O'Connell Street. I can not help wonder where all those voices were when permission was given to turn so many shops into the fast-food outlets and other "plastic" stores that have spoiled one of the most famous streets in Europe. - Yours, etc.,
JOE HARVEY, Glenageary Woods, Co Dublin.