The new marina proposed for Dun Laoghaire Harbour will be a public amenity, and not restricted to members of sailing clubs, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has told a planning hearing.
While it was acknowledged there would be some adverse impacts, an environmental impact statement had shown it would have "an overwhelming positive impact in terms of the use of the harbour and the recreational and sporting benefits which will accrue", said Mr Eamon Galligan, on behalf of the company.
Speaking at the Bord Pleanala appeal hearing against permission for a 680-berth marina to be located between the existing ferry terminal and the Coal Harbour, he said no public project in the State had been subject to such an extensive consultation process. The main elements of the proposed marina reflected the majority view of those bodies and persons consulted, he said.
Such a facility was a specific objective of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Development Plan, and was considered an important factor in the development of the area as "a marine-related tourist base", Mr Galligan told the hearing on Wednesday.
The marina would be a significant facility in the national context and accord with national policy.
