Bertie, Lord of the flies

The Abbotstown development has just been approved by Dublin corporation. Is it another little joke? Tallaghfornia part two? Once again the gombeen men that run this dear country of ours have realised what sport it would be if we allow thousands of people to be fecked onto a greenfield site in the back side of Dublin with no public transport, schools, medical Facilites or chance of law enforcement on the (by now hilarious) premise that it will all soon arrive. When it does, will christ be there too, as he promised, with a miracle for the mountain of social problems that will again be created by mass social isolation?

Kevin Myers described the politics of this country as ‘the politics of cowardice’. But really, how much damage would it do this governments popularity if they abandoned this “planning” system, or fourth emergency service as it should be known, for a proactive continental system? The government is spending millions on cleaning up the mess at Ballymun and at the same time permitting thousands the same if not less extreme fate in Kildare, Louth, Meath, Westmeath etc. The electioneering tactics are nausiating.

So what can architects, and people like myself as future architects actually do (as social engineers?) to stop this country turning into fattysville Tennissee? Last week, Bertie in his latest and most magical spin told his own party to ‘pull the finger out’. As Dublins pop. is due to grow by 1/2 million in the next 17 years, maybe its time for you to pull your own finger out mate.