Sir, – I could not believe my eyes when I read that Dublin City councillors had voted to spend €500,000 to lower the sea wall in Clontarf (News, January 9th).
The reason given is that “motorists have a restricted view of the sea if the wall is not lowered”. Apart altogether from the fact that motorists should have their eyes on the road and not on the sea, this action by the councillors beggars belief.
Walkers (including myself) and cyclists (if they choose to stop and move off the cycle path for a moment ) have a perfectly good view of the lagoon and the sea. They also, incidentally, have a perfect view of the dumped rubbish at the causeway end of the wall, which the council could spend some money on clearing.
Surely someone at the council meeting where this bizarre decision was taken must have had a pang of conscience when seeing this waste of public monies on totally unnecessary work. In a city with many real problems, such as homelessness and litter, this is an appalling abuse of public money.
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As a Clontarf resident I disown the actions of the residents who campaigned to have the wall lowered. There are no homes adjacent to the section of the wall to be lowered, so even the Nimby argument does not hold up, as there cannot be backyards where there are no homes.
I know that at the next local elections I will be asking candidates if they voted for this daft measure, and I can assure all those who did that they will get no support from me or any other sensible voters.
The proposal to lower the sea wall holds no water! – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’RIORDAN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – To summarise: the sea defence wall, recently completed at considerable public expense, will now be reduced in height by about 30cm (at a cost of €500,000) following objections from local residents.
The fact that no residents actually live opposite the half-kilometre stretch of wall seems to be regarded as irrelevant by councillors.
Car drivers, whose eyes are supposed to be on the road ahead, will now have their peripheral sea view restored.
Brian Boru must be spinning in his grave, either from uncontrollable mirth or perhaps, more likely, venting an exasperated “Was it for this that I died for Ireland?” – Yours, etc,
PATRICK JUDGE,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.