Greens welcome legal action against Dartmouth Square developer
Reacting to news that Dublin City Council has begun legal proceedings against the developer Noel O’Gara, who yesterday attempted to turn Dartmouth Square in Dublin into a car park, Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD said:
“I welcome the fact that legal papers how now been served on Mr O’Gara and sincerely hope that he discontinues his greedy charade. I have also been informed that Dublin City Council intends to serve an injunction on him to cease his illegal activities in the park. It is quite clear that Mr O’Gara did not seek planning permission for any type of car park, nor has he any public liability insurance for vehicles parked in the area.
“Lessons need to be learned from this fiasco. How could an individual like Mr O’Gara get ownership of a public space for a mere pittance? There are also serious political lessons to be taken. Our public spaces and green areas need far better protection. When the Green Party first suggested that the Council place a compulsory purchase order on Dartmouth Square, the idea was dismissed in some quarters. It is now clear that this would have been the best approach.
“On foot of this we are also calling for the Council to CPO and properly protect the city’s many other green spaces and issue more tree preservation orders. We will be publishing proposals in this regard in the coming months,” the TD for Dublin South East concluded.