A new environmental group wants the period for objections to plans to fill in 54 acres of Dublin Bay to be extended by six months.
The Dublin Baywatch group, set up to "maintain and improve what remains of the amenity of Dublin bay", has made the appeal to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods.
"We are calling on Dr Woods for a six-month extension for objections as the process by the Dublin Port Company goes against EU regulations, Article 6 (2), 97/11/EC," said Mr Gerry Breen, a spokesman for the group. Mr Breen is also a Fine Gael councillor. The EU regulation requires the public to be given "reasonable time" to express an opinion before consent is granted, he said.
The Baywatch group, based in Clontarf, made the statements in December, in reference to an application to fill in an area of Dublin bay by the Dublin Port Company (DPC), which says more space is needed for handling increasing activities at the port. Clontarf architect Mr Pat O'Brien told the group that "a small domestic extension to a house is required to have more of a planning process than Dublin Port Company's attempt to infill 54 acres of Dublin Bay."
Mr Breen also voiced his concern about the lack of time given to public consultation on the infill by the DPC at a November meeting of Dublin Corporation North Central, when his motion criticising the DPC's application was passed.
A notice for the reclamation was advertised by the DPC on October 1st, giving the public one month to make written submissions to the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
The Baywatch group also questions an environmental impact study, submitted by the DPC with its application, which does not cite meetings with the local residents or community most affected in its pre-application consultations.
The EIS report, prepared by consultants for the DPC, says, however, that the development would have no significant impact on noise, air pollution or on fish. Dublin Baywatch is also concerned about provisions in the current legislation which impinge upon anyone wanting to develop on the foreshore. Under the Foreshore Act 1933, decisions to give permission for such developments lie with the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources.
The DPC's application was made to Dr Woods last October and is the second application by the company to fill in and reclaim the same land in the inner Dublin bay on the Tolka estuary opposite Clontarf. An earlier attempt was made in 1988, when the then minister, Mr Brendan Daly, decided against the same proposed infill of the bay area. The DPC says the current application is due to the demand for extra facilities arising from increases in the volume of trade at Dublin Port. However, Dublin Baywatch say the port is underused.
"We will be requesting a meeting with Dr Woods in the new year where we will be calling for a restructuring of the Dublin Port Company and amendment legislation to the Foreshore Act 1933, which cannot reconcile present needs over 70 years later," says Mr Breen.
The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has received about 400 objections to the development. It has compiled these and sent them back to the DPC for comment. A decision will be made by the Minister based on these and the adequacy of Environmental Impact Statement, a spokesman for the Department said.