Land is available

Reply to PQ submitted to Dublin Port Company by Ivana Bacik TD on behalf of SAMRA:

“Approximately 28.8ha of the 40.8ha identified in Appendix 1of the Company’s Franchise Policy as being used for non-core activities have been secured for core port activities – principally the transit storage of cargo.

We continue to engage with occupiers of the remaining 12ha, some of whom hold long term leases, and will endeavour to secure these lands on mutually agreed commercial terms. In the event that agreement is not reached the company has CPO powers under the Harbours Acts.

I would also confirm that some of the lands secured have since been allocated to State Services in the aftermath of Brexit.

In this regard approximately 14.6ha of land is currently allocated to State Services. This requirement was not envisaged when the Franchise Policy was originally formulated.

The Company considers that these lands are being underutilised and we are in active discussions with State Services / OPW with a view to securing the return of a portion of these lands and ultimately with a view to consolidating the Brexit Lands within an area at the North Eastern Corner of the Port.”

There is other land available at Dublin Port Why is it not being used?

Dublin Port spans over 600 acres. In 2014, over 100 acres were being used for activities that could easily be relocated away from the port and that land freed-up for essential port activities.

The Dublin Port Company’s (DPC) 2014 Franchise Policy report set out how it was going to bring this underutilised land into use.

After almost a decade the DPC has not yet optimized just over 65 acres - approximately 10% of the port's land.

To find out how much land it has brought back into use for essential port activities, SAMRA was forced to ask local public representative Ivana Bacik TD, to submit a Parliamentary Question in 2023. DPC would not provide the answer to SAMRA.

The answer is striking; after almost a decade the DPC has not yet optimized just over 65 acres - approximately 10% of the port's land.

Why is the DPC is now eyeing an additional 15 acres near our community to build a massive container yard, which will impose visual, noise and environmental pollution, and a permanent blight on the landscape, when there is 65 acres of land available in the port?

We argue that the Dublin Port Company must focus on repurposing existing underused land in the port rather than encroaching on land that should be used for the community’s benefit.

DPC has compulsory purchase powers which it could use to meet its container storage requirements within the current footprint.

If this container storage facility goes ahead on the Poolbeg Peninsula it will never be possible to expand the nature reserve or enhance the community facilities which lie at its boundaries.

Don't let our community's quality of life to be sacrificed.

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