Sir – I have enormous respect and appreciation for the work of Dublin Chamber. It has to been to the forefront in advocating many the positive developments in our capital city over the years. However, I take exception to some of the remarks its chief Executive, Mary Rose Burke (May 11th).
Contrary to the assertions, the discussion on flying the Palestinian flag took no more than 10 minutes of the time of the protocol committee and approximately 25 minutes of the full city council meeting. However, in recognition of the priority of statutory council business, the time of the meeting was extended by a similar time. All statutory business on the agenda for last Monday night was completed. Similarly, the suggestion that the discussion on the title of “lord mayor” took up considerable time last year is wrong, particularly given that the matter has not yet been discussed by the full council.
Ms Burke is also wrong to suggest that the Minister for Housing had to intervene to force Dublin City Council to accept a greater number of new homes on the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone. He may have had to encourage some planners but councillors required no such intervention.
Next Wednesday, Dublin City councillors will begin the process to discuss, adopt or amend the 108 amendments to that Poolbeg plan submitted by the elected members. While I have not seen them all yet, I know that the majority of my own submissions are about housing, jobs, the environment and generally the sort of issues Ms Burke said we should be engaged in.
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For the record, I am not in favour of City Hall being used to take sides on international affairs and am in favour of retaining the title lord mayor, but neither take up even 1 per cent of my contributions to the work of the council and the same is true of the vast majority of my colleagues. – Yours, etc,
Cllr DERMOT LACEY,
Chairman,
Protocol Committee,
Dublin City Council
City Hall, Dublin 2.