Madam, - The Irish Georgian Society takes issue with the observation of the Dublin City Manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, that our argument for the retention of 500 buildings on the record of protected structures was "unsatisfactory" because the society in its inventory did not assign a rating for the buildings - "record only, local, regional, national or international", (The Irish Times, July 7th).
It is obvious that the Irish Georgian Society would not advocate the retention of these buildings if it did not consider them to be of at least local importance. With respect, it would appear that the city manager has used the omission of a rating to invalidate the Irish Georgian Society's argument.
For the record, the Irish Georgian Society considers that those approximately 500 buildings proposed for delisting from Dublin's Victorian core are both of at least local significance and should remain protected structures. - Yours, etc.,
EMMELINE HENDERSON, IGS Conservation Research Officer, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.