City councillors welcome Government decision to not fund rafting centre

Gary Ibbotson 31 Mar 2021

The Government has refused to allocate funds to the proposed white-water rafting project, potentially scuppering Dublin City Council’s plans for the facility.

The proposal, which has an estimated cost of €25.4m, was earmarked for George’s Dock and has been the subject of controversy since the plans for it first came to light.

However, the project may now have to be scrapped after Minister for Housing and Local Government Darragh O’Brien refused to allocate €19m in funding through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.

“Any plans for the further advancement of this or any other proposed development for George’s Dock is a matter for Dublin City Council,” said Minister O’Brien.

Plans for the proposal were originally backed by councillors in a vote which was taken in December 2019 when 37 elected members voted in favour while 19 voted against.

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey, who supported the idea, said that the Government should fund the opening of more swimming pools in the city if it was adamant in refusing funding for the white-water rafting project.

“I’m disappointed that Government did not see the big picture – but then it seldom does,” he says.

“Perhaps it can release the crumbs of funding that we need to reopen the Marian College Swimming Pool, extend the life of the Mespil Estate Pool, and open on a more full-time basis the Crumlin and Sean Mc Dermott Street Pools.”

Lacey also says that a new pool in the Dublin 2 area should be developed in preparation of the closure of the existing Markievicz Leisure Centre due to the construction of the Metrolink.

“If they don’t, well their words of concerns about the project are just that – words.”

Sinn Fein councillor Daithí Doolan, who also voted to back the proposal, says that the escalating estimated costs hampered the project.

“I firmly believe the white water-rafting project would have been a huge asset to the community of the north inner city and to Dublin in general,” he says.

“Sinn Féin voted for the project in 2019 to go ahead.

“We realised it would offer Dublin Fire Brigade training facilities and the inner-city access to sports facilities.

“Serious concerns were raised about funding.

“I raised those concerns directly with council management. We received an assurance that the project would require another vote by city councillors.”

Doolan says that more foresight is needed when proposing such a large-scale development.

“Management turned a good news story in to a negative,” he says.

Spiralling costs threw a shadow over the whole project.

Unfortunately, the facility has become unviable. I sincerely hope lessons were learned.

“And next time city council have an opportunity like this that the detail is worked out and funding secured.”

Fine Gael councillor Danny Byrne voted against the motion in 2019 and says that it “is now time to shelve this project.

“There are so many problems facing Dublin that I do not think a white-water rafting facility is top of anyone’s list.

“Local swimming pools, playgrounds, youth facilities are all under severe pressure and we need to get the basics right before moving on to a grandiose project,” he says.

“I was against this project from the very beginning and given the situation that we are now in, it defies belief that the Council propose to press ahead with it.

“Thankfully it appears that the government agrees with me.”

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