CEO of Dún Laoghaire harbour firm to step down

THE CHIEF executive of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, Michael Hanahoe, has resigned his position.

His resignation follows the shelving of the Carlisle Pier development project, although he said yesterday the two events were not connected.

Mr Hanahoe informed the chairman of the harbour board of his decision to leave last Friday and, under the terms of his contract, will work out 12 months’ notice with the company.

Mr Hanahoe told The Irish Times he did not feel under any pressure to go and was not leaving because of any particular issue.

“I do not feel that I have been forced out or forced by any particular circumstances to walk away,” he said.

His move followed the decision by John Sisk Sons Ltd to pull out of the Carlisle Pier project. The ambitious plan to redevelop the 19th-century derelict pier was designed by Heneghan Peng in March 2004.

The architects were chosen following a high-profile public consultation process with four short-listed designs, including one by international architect Daniel Libeskind.

The approved plan included a landmark national marine life centre, a 127-bed hotel, 229 apartments, retail developments and a floating stage and was lauded as “architecture of great refinement, elegance and sophistication”.

It was expected that an application would be lodged for the development in late 2004 by a consortium including Sisk. However, the project encountered a series of difficulties at the pre-planning stage and has now been shelved.

No one from Sisk was available to comment yesterday.

Mr Hanahoe’s resignation also followed the rejection by his board of directors last week of a proposal he made to offer voluntary redundancy to some of the 17 harbour police officers working in Dún Laoghaire.

The plan included a proposal to eliminate night shifts for the harbour police.

Mr Hanahoe said he was very happy with his 11 years as chief executive with the State company, which was established in March 1997 under the Harbours Act 1996.

“I am not aggrieved with the board,” he said.

“I have had my ups and downs with directors. . . but I don’t feel under pressure to go. I hope I am leaving with the best wishes of the board.”

He said his contract ran out last year and he was offered a new contract of indefinite duration, but was not now taking it up.

Mr Hanahoe said there was no connection between the withdrawal of Sisk and his resignation. He said the Carlisle Pier design was “wonderful” and was produced by an innovative team of architects, but its withdrawal was on the cards for a while because of the state of the construction market. “The decline in the property market killed it dead,” he said.

“I don’t see it happening in the near future.”

The company was actively looking at alternative options for the site, but had nothing definite in mind at present, he said.

He said he could not comment on proposals for the harbour police, as the company was in discussion with the union involved.

He also said he hoped to reach a new agreement with Stena Line ferry company before his departure, to ensure that the service remained in Dún Laoghaire.