Described as a blight on the city
THE ongoing row on the future of the Opera Centre site continued this week, with Cllr Jim Long calling for the entire site to be flattened.
“This site is now under State ownership and the onus is on Anglo Irish Bank and NAMA, who have an obligation to the area.
“We do not have the authority to go in there, but the site is a blight on the city and it’s now time to take the gloves off – the whole area is a disaster waiting to happen as there’s more than vermin in there – some of these buildings are waiting to collapse.
‘We can take protective ownership and knock the buildings. We can register the charge to the courts”.
Cllr Diarmuid Scully agreed:: “We may see buildings collapse on to the streets”.
Meanwhile, Cllr Kevin Kiely, told the meeting:
“We already have 14,5000 unemployed in the city, now 50 more, with the closure of Trinity Rooms.
“I am calling on the council to serve a Dereliction Site Notice on all of the streets in the Opera Centre site – I want this to go forward to the full council meeting next week”.
He asked for a progress report on the number of times the council has visited the area since the infestation issue went public and how often the council has carried out inspections of the site, and was told by Caroline Curley, director of services, that it is the council’s desire to have the site developed
“The developers are still the owners.
“My first knowledge that Trinity Rooms had shut and that vermin was given as the reason, was when contacted by the media.
“We have been in contact with the HSE and they are satisfied that the measures put in place will deal with the rodent problem”.
Ms Curley said that some of the photographs used in the media, showing rubbish bins in the area, were out of date..
“Shannon Development and the City Library are in the same street as Trinity Rooms – and they have had no problems with rodents. – I can only guarantee that the site is being maintained to the standard that can be afforded in these times”.
