STRONG local opposition continued yesterday to the proposal to build a £400 million sports complex, including a casino, on the site of the old Phoenix Park racecourse. It has become clear that the issue is now firmly in the Government's court.
The Government will consider the matter in three weeks, when a decision will be made on whether to give a licence to the casino. The promoter, Centre Ltd has stressed that the centre is totally dependent on getting a casino licence.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, said that the Minister for Finance would bring the matter before the Cabinet in a few weeks and they would have to wait until then to make a decision.
Mr Yates said he was not keen (on the idea of "wall to wall" slot machines. He would not like to see "one armed bandits" introduced through the back door in the guise of a casino.
Mr Austin Currie, a local TD and a junior minister, expressed disappointment that planning permission had been granted. Another junior minister and local TD, Ms Joan Burton, also expressed her opposition.
The prominent bookmaker, Mr Terry Rogers, told RTE's Liveline programme that he believed the project would be harmful to the racing industry and to the area. Experience from around the world had shown the harm caused by casinos.
A coalition of local residents' associations, the West Dublin Action Group, which has been strongly resisting the scheme, said it will now concentrate on lobbying the Government to ensure that it does not give a licence to the casino.
ACRA, the central body for residents' associations, said. "We are gravely concerned about the possible consequences of a casino, which could give rise to social difficulties such as experienced in the US.
It added that while the prospect of jobs was welcome, permission to operate a casino could set a dangerous precedent for all of Ireland.
One caller to Liveline said that if the centre was planned for any socially deprived area of Dublin there would not be any opposition to it. As far as he could see, the main opposition was coming from Castleknock, where there was little unemployment.
