The Irish Times view on Dublin city politics: Lido on the Liffey

A proposal to swap plans for the much-maligned white-water rafting facility with a swift-water emergency services training facility was received with scepticism by Dublin city councillors last week. Several suggested this was a rebranding rather than a redesign of proposals for the drained and derelict George’s Dock at Custom House Quay, just north of the River Liffey.

White-water, swift-water – undeniably they have a similar ring to them, and according to the manager of the council’s dockland’s office, Derek Kelly, will cost the same – about €25 million. However, Kelly insisted they were definitely not the same. This was not “white-water rafting by stealth”. Though it did involve simulated rapids, it was not of the size or gradient for rafting.

The new plan would see the swift-water facility on 40 per cent of the site, with the remainder devoted to public pools. This “lido” element would include a 50m pool, sauna and changing areas and a multi-use area of more pools in the summer, and an ice rink, Christmas markets, and other events in the winter. Councillors had championed the lido idea, and it appeared to have public support, certainly more so than the white-water proposal, so it has to be asked why retain rapids on any part of the site.

The council says it needs to develop a swift-water training facility for Dublin Fire Brigade and, if it was to build it in isolation elsewhere, it alone could cost €20 million.

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The need for the facility has been backed up by assistant chief fire officer Greg O’Dwyer, who said training courses, currently held on rivers, were often cancelled because of a lack of rain, and participants had become ill from contaminated water. George’s Dock also presented an opportunity to create a “simulated street scene” not possible in river training. As with so many high-cost schemes planned for the city, who knows if the project will ever come to fruition. What is clear is with an entrance fee pitched around the €6 mark, compared with the €50-a-go on the rapids, the lido won’t ever wash its €25 million face.