FG/labour led Council ‘miss the boat’ on Volvo Ocean race bid for Dun Laoghaire – FF candidates

Posted on 29/05/09 The Fianna Fáil local election candidates for Ballybrack, Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire have strongly criticised the Fine Gael/Labour led Council for not bidding to host the Volvo Ocean race.
The candidates - Gareth Crowe, Cormac Devlin, Larry Lohan, Fred Gilligan, Peter O'Brien and Barry Conway - paid credit to the officials in Galway on their wonderful coup, not to mention the €35-40 million boost to the local economy, but added: "Why did our sleepy Council in Dun Laoghaire not bid for this event?"
"Dun Laoghaire is the prime sailing and leisure port in this country, with a state-of-the-art marina, a superb harbour and careenage facilities on the coast from Booterstown to Bray. The Dart runs from the hinterland of Dublin city and there is easy road access for the one million plus people in the immediate Dublin area," said Crowe.
"Dun Laoghaire Council has been ruled by a cosy combination of Fine Gael and Labour for all except 5 years of the past 70 years," added Conway.
Many of the hotels and tourist facilities have been allowed to close or stagnate during that period and new hotels and restaurants have failed to get support from our council.
"Our harbour only became developed when a Fianna Fáil Government passed control away from the Council to a Harbour Board," said Gilligan.

"The FG/Labour majority brought in clamping, pedestrianisation and other schemes which have driven shoppers away from our remaining businesses and, at the same time, increased local business rates every single year," he continued.
"There is no representation from our Council on Dublin Tourism. Dublin City Council and Dublin South are represented - why not Dun Laoghaire? Fine Gael and Labour have clamoured to take all the positions on the other boards and committees," said Devlin.
"The last major international event hosted by Dun Laoghaire was the visit of JFK many years ago, which highlighted the maritime appeal to all of our wonderful facilities. Did the Council not realise that there was a market and a need to build on that success?," he added.
According to the candidates, the businesses, large and small, of Dun Laoghaire are crying out for a boost to the local economy, not only to maintain jobs but to secure the new jobs that an event like this would have delivered to the area.
"Our hoteliers, caterers, shops, technical specialists and all the staff of these businesses, and their families would now be a lot happier and in work. Even Council staff, who have lost their jobs, would have kept their employment", said Peter O'Brien

"Why did this Council not see the opportunities?" he continued.
"We applaud Galway's superb initiative but we can't help feeling cheated by our Council. The community of Dun Laoghaire has once again suffered from their ineptitude," concluded Lohan.