The Green Party have pledged their support to help local residents and business owners solve the problem of Dún Laoghaire’s vacant shop units following a successful public meeting in the Kingston Hotel last night (6 July 2010).

Over 180 residents and business owners attended the meeting held by Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire Ciarán Cuffe and were shown presentations on how the town can be improved through planning, heritage, the arts, and supporting local businesses.

The Green Party has welcomed the decision by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown to refuse permission for temporary use of the Carlisle Pier in Dún Laoghaire as a surface car park.

Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire Ciarán Cuffe has welcomed the decision by An Bord Pleanála, which has ruled that the demolition of Carlisle Pier did not constitute 'exempted development' and therefore required planning permission. He has now sought an early meeting with the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to urge them to rebuild the demolished nineteenth century railway building, which stood on the site until last year.

The Green Party has welcomed commitments from Stena Line and the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company that the ferry service between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead will return on 15 March 2010.

Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire Ciarán Cuffe stated:

Discussion with Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company in the Oireachtas Committee on Transport - 02 December 2009.

I met up with Sean Kennedy, a constituent off Clokeen Road in Deansgrange who showed me his treasure trove of photographs of the Carlisle Pier.

As the demolition of Dún Laoghaire’s historic Carlisle Pier continues local TD Ciarán Cuffe has referred the issue to An Bord Pleanála. The demolition started in early September, and from the start the Green Party TD appealed in writing to both the Harbour Company and the Council to cease demolition as no planning permission had been obtained for the works.

The Green Party has called on Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to cease the demolition of the hundred and fifty year old historic buildings on Carlisle Pier and has written to the Council urging them to take enforcement procedures against these works.

Ciarán Cuffe TD was present at the Pier this morning as contractors carried out demolition works on the Pier, removing the roof and support structures from the buildings.

The Green Party has called on the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to restore the Victorian Building on the Carlisle Pier in Dún Laoghaire Harbour.

Ciarán Cuffe TD has urged the Harbour Company to remove the 1960s building works from the Carlisle Pier and reveal the fine Victorian structure dating from 1859 that lies underneath.

Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire Ciarán Cuffe stated: