[article] Cullen's 'PR stunt' is derailed by locals

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Evening Herald: Cullen's 'PR stunt' is derailed by locals

PLANNING ROW: Minister claimed work on new station had begun

By Cormac Murphy, 14.03.06

Transport Minister Martin Cullen was today accused of a publicity stunt for announcing the start of works on a railway station that has not got planning permission.

Minister Cullen announced last week that work had commenced on a new E28m docklands railway station - but Iarnród Éireann has yet to submit a planning application.

While work on laying the tracks can begin immediately, planning approval is needed for the actual building, a spokesman for the rail company told the Evening Herald.

He said it is intended that an application will be lodged with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority this week.

PERMISSION

A spokesman for Minister Cullen acknowledged planning permission has yet to be secured, but added that 'we're interested in delivering - that's why we're moving on (the station)'.

Dismissing the announcement as a 'publicity stunt', a residents group in East Wall also criticised Iarnród Éireann for not giving locals enough notice about a public information meeting about the station plan.

"Our notification was at 2.10pm on Tuesday - less than a day and a half before the meeting. Bear in mind that the meeting took place in the morning during working hours.

"It was not possible to organise a representative to go," said a spokesperson for the Combined Residents' Association in East Wall.

"The issue of the train station and where it should be has been pretty important to us. One of the criticisms we have of the Docklands Authority in particular is that a lot of the issues seem to be more PR-based rather than about genuine consultation," he said.

Iarnród Éireann said it had distributed 2,000 leaflets in the area letting locals know about the information meeting, which took place in the St Laurence O'Toole Centre on Sheriff St.

But the residents' spokesman said: "We have no evidence of that. We had a full meeting on Tuesday evening and no one at that meeting had seen any leaflets at all."

However, the rail company spokesperson said Iarnród Éireann will organise a second meeting to accommodate more residents in the area.

If it gets planning permission, it will be the first new station in the city centre for 116 years.

Minister Cullen said it will pave the way for a train service every 15 minutes along the Maynooth-Dublin line.

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