Sir, – On August 12th, a letter writer made some comments about our group Dublin Can Be Heaven that need to be addressed.
The one aim of our group is to help our members stay in business and ultimately prosper. We got together when we feared that decisions made by Dublin City Council (DCC), without consultation, would adversely affect our businesses.
We want shoppers to have a choice as to how they access the city, and not everybody has the luxury of mobility or a convenient public transport option.
I’m told that I don’t care about the dire situation outlined in the recent UN report on climate change. I do care and I am appalled.
Pouring scorn on Dublin Can Be Heaven instead of on successive governments that have refused to face up to the problem is a facile and ultimately useless exercise.
For the record, I vote Green, and walk to and from work every day. I am not anti-pedestrianisation. I am concerned that DCC’s actions will dissuade people who formerly shopped in the city from doing so in the future. If this happens the city centre will be decimated, and you can be sure the people who gravitate to suburban shopping centres as a result will travel by car.
If DCC wanted to cut down on cars coming into the city, it should address the fact that approximately 7,200 car spaces exist in the city centre which are supplied free of charge to public servants. – Yours, etc,
MARY COSTELLOE,
Dublin 2.