Dun Laoghaire Harbour row over moorings is averted

A row between Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and two yacht clubs over the £18 million marina project appears to have been averted. An order to remove up to 60 vessels from moorings in the harbour by today to facilitate the marina contractors, Marina Marketing and Management Ltd (MMM), is not expected to be invoked immediately.

The order was issued by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, the Department of Finance and the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company to the Royal Irish and National yacht clubs, under the terms of the foreshore licence issued to the marina operators.

Moorings held by members of the two clubs lie along the "footprint" of the proposed marina, which is due to be completed by March. Mr Martin Crotty of the Dun Laoghaire Combined Clubs (DLCC) said the contractors had legal possession of the harbour area from today but had informed the clubs that pile driving was not ready to begin.

The DLCC is still in a standoff with the marina contractors over charges on the 680-berth project, and predicts the majority of vessels on moorings in Dun Laoghaire will not take up berths if the charges remain. MMM has confirmed that the price will be £245 per metre.

Mr Crotty of DLCC said his group, which originally bid for the marina contract, had proposed a sliding scale, with an average charge of £190 per metre and a reduction for vessels under nine metres.

Mr Crotty said the clubs were delighted the marina was going ahead and were very happy with progress. The clubs had been informed by the harbour company that mooring charges would not be increased next year for boat owners who chose not to opt for the marina but there were no guarantees for future years. He also confirmed that a number of "outstanding issues" still have to be resolved with the harbour company.

The combined clubs appreciated the concerns of the Coal Harbour Users Group (CHUG), comprising vessel owners using the public boatyard in the Coal Harbour, Mr Crotty added. The Coal Harbour is to be taken over by MMM today as part of the contract and CHUG has said this constitutes privatisation of the last public slipway in south Dublin Bay. MMM has stressed the slipway will remain public.