Sir, – In his excellent article "A Dublin Bay boom, a Liffey barrier" (Capital Ideas, November 3rd), Frank McDonald mentions the possibility of combining the essential works required to protect the railway line from storm damage with the building of the Sutton to Sandycove cycleway and walkway (S2S) on the seafront. Both projects have formed part of government and local authority strategic policy for the past 15 years.
Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are currently working (separately) on new plans for the S2S in south Dublin Bay, without reference to coastal protection. At the same time, a new study has recently been commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on the options for the coastal protection of the rail line, apparently without any reference to the S2S.
The two projects face the same challenges with environmental and amenity issues. They are inextricably linked. Combining, or at the very least co-ordinating, the work on the two projects for those sections would have enormous benefits for both projects and most certainly save money and time.
Frank McDonald is right – co-ordinating the work on the two projects makes sense, but it appears not to be happening. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL COLLINS,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.