Madam, – With reference to the article (Front page, July 20th), about the Green Party insisting that Metro North goes ahead, might I draw attention to the fact that the present construction plans being presented by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) to An Bord Pleanála include a massive station within the boundaries of St Stephen’s Green? Also, the Dart Inchicore to Docklands plan by Iarnród Éireann will result in similar damage to St Stephen’s Green.
These combined plans will result in the destruction of St Stephen’s Green, a national monument, one of our most treasured city parks in the country.
Since the 1600s St Stephen’s Green has been used as a park by the people of Dublin.
In 1877, Sir Arthur Guinness of the brewing dynasty, at considerable personal expense, was instrumental in building the current layout of the park as we know it today.
Mr Guinness, who was a member of parliament at the time, also was instrumental in the St Stephen’s Green Act of 1877, vesting the park to the people of Dublin and in trust to the Public Works Commissioners.
Section 15 of the St Stephen’s Green Act, gave protection to the park “to be used and enjoyed as a public park for the recreation and enjoyment of the public and not for any other purpose”.
However the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 has bulldozed away this legislative protection. This Act has a section in it that states “Section 15 of the St Stephen’s Green Act 1877 does not apply to inspections, surveys, or railway works or the operation of a railway, light railway or metro on or under St Stephen’s Green.”
This legislative malfeasance has given the green light for the destruction of our park.
I would hope that the people of Ireland recognise how close we are right now to losing St Stephen’s Green.
– Yours, etc,
DAMIAN O’REGAN, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin.