Re: Re: Cork Transport

05 July 2008 from the Irish Examiner

Land row puts key rail station in jeopardy

By Sean O’Riordan
A ROW over who owns a plot of land has put the future of a new multi-million euro railway station in jeopardy.

Iarnród Éireann’s plans to build a new station and 360-space park and ride facility on the outskirts of Cork have run into trouble, after the National Roads Authority (NRA) claimed it owned the land and needed it for one of its own projects.

The station at Dunkettle is one of three to be created along the Cork-Midleton railway line, which is due to be reopened early next year.
Cork County Council has approved planning permission for the station.

But the NRA has objected to An Bord Pleanála and is adamant that it has to use the land for a key upgrade of the Dunkettle interchange, which is the busiest junction in Cork.

“The NRA supports improvements in public transport, but we are disappointed that we weren’t formally consulted on the plans by Iarnród Éireann,” said the NRA spokesman.

He said the land was earmarked for large NRA improvements at the Dunkettle interchange, which will have to be undertaken in the future to prevent it from becoming gridlocked.

In addition, the NRA claimed there were several other more suitable locations Iarnród Éireann could use for the facility.
However, the war of words intensified last night after the rail company claimed that the NRA didn’t actually own the disputed land.

“The fact of the matter is it is not their land. It is registered to Cork County Council for transport needs and the park and ride facility comes within this ambit,” said an Iarnród Éireann spokesman. He claimed the rail company did consult the NRA before applying for planning permission.

However, the spokesman admitted that the appeal to An Bord Pleanála had “the potential to impact” on the railway company’s plans at Dunkettle. “We will try and work constructively with Cork County Council and the NRA to see if we can resolve this issue,” he said.

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What does this story say about the maturity, willingness to co-ordinate, ability to co-operate, desire to serve the public good, intelligence and communication skills of the local management of Iarnrod Eireann and the NRA in Cork?