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THE PROPOSED NEW white-water rafting facility in Dublin’s IFSC is to go ahead after almost two-thirds of councillors from Dublin City Council threw their support behind it at a meeting this evening.
The proposal had already been given the green light by councillors on the central area committee following an initial vote held last month.
The facility will now move another step closer after a majority, 63% of councillors, announced their support for the plans at tonight’s sitting of all elected members of the council.
Last week, TheJournal.ie published a first look at what the facility will look like when it’s completed at George’s Dock – which previously hosted events like Oktoberfest and Christmas markets – at the IFSC area in the centre of Dublin.
Construction is expected to get underway in the new year and will take between 18 months to two years to complete.
The white-water course is designed for use as a tourist attraction and by sports clubs but will also be made available to Dublin Fire Brigade and other emergency services as a training resource. It is expected to draw thousands of visitors on an annual basis.
The estimated costs of the development has come in at €22 million and will be funded through a combination of grants and council funding.
The rise in the cost of the project, originally costed at €12 million, sparked concern about the viability of the project. Derek Kelly, Docklands Area Manager, explained that the initial figure cited earlier this year excluded the design team fee, cost of developing two new buildings, and VAT.
“I’m happy that as we stand the figure is robust… we’re working on €22.8 million all in, including design fees,” he said.
The current costing includes these omissions as well as the cost of developing a water treatment plant which was not part of the plans originally.
Kelly said a minimum of 36,000 visitors per year is expected to attend and that the facility will become profitable in the second year of operation.
Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) has supported the plans from the outset, and said this type of facility has proved to be invaluable for other emergency services around the world, including emergency services in parts of the UK and in New York.
Speaking to council members tonight, Greg O’Dwyer, Senior Officer at DFB reiterated the benefits of the facility to emergency services nationwide.
“Two things we need for training, and two of our biggest concerns, are water quality and water quantity. Water quality is a health and safety issue and we have had a number of people taking ill on courses so we have to stop using the upper Liffey area,” he said.
“All our rivers are spate, therefore, if we don’t have significant rainfall we don’t have the water quantity to run the course.
“This facility will give us two big advantages. Once the quality of the water will be guaranteed for our members, they won’t be getting ill from training… we will also have the required amount of water we need and when we need it.”
Kayaking and canoe clubs weighed in during the public consultation stage of the planning process with many saying this type resource is unheard of in Ireland at present leaving many clubs travelling to facilities abroad.
David Henry, of the Silver Bridge Kayak Club said: “I am a recreational kayaker and in the past have had to travel to Britain to avail of similar facilities in preparation for expeditions further afield.”
“Such a scheme would be invaluable for local and national recreational water-sport users, youth clubs, scouting, kayak clubs, and most importantly, our athletes who regularly travel to Europe to train for international events,” he added.
Councillors were provided with a full 37-page report about the facility ahead of tonight’s meeting. That report recommended it should go to a vote of all councillors sitting on Dublin City Council for approval.
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Its ok, Denzel Washington comes good in the end and owns up.
“In his verdict, the judge highlighted the co-pilot’s high level of intoxication, the number of people whose lives would have been endangered if he had flown the plane, the length of the flight, and the fact that he must have known that his colleagues had also been drinking”
Then he sentenced him to 6 months in jail?
It’s Norway, They gave Anders Breivik 20 years and a 5 stars room with internet connection and a Playstation
Six months is a disgrace
You’d wonder how common this is,only for the tip off no one would’ve ever known
Must of been an irish judge with such a ridiculous sentence
*have
Surely the two bottles were shared amongst all of them? Otherwise 2 bottles on his own would put him waaaaay over than 7 times the legal limit for airline staff.
I would have thought two bottles of whiskey would be a fatal dose.
Maybe they were miniatures.
He was *seven* times the limit – and it was *the next day*!! You think a couple of miniatures would do that?!
The legal limit for airline staff is lower than the statutory one (if I remember correctly) so a couple of mini bottles could have done that.
probably thought he was going to get the ride off those other two.
Well here he would have got a twelve month ban, but you can have you licence back in six. Sure isn’t it the same as having a few pints down the local and driving home!.
Only if you can fit 100 people in your car and your car can travel at 500mph through the air….
Where we’re going we don’t need roads.
Very good padraig, that made me laugh on a crappy tues afternoon
Is there a Norwegian version of SIPTU to appeal this ridiculously harsh decision?
Sure planes these days practically fly themselves. Whats the problem ?
Reminds me of a joke …
3 Padraigs, one English, one Scot and one Irish, all were at AA. Padraig from England says, “I’m Padraig and I’m an alcoholic. I drink 4 shorts with breakfast, another 4 for elevenses, go for a few beers at lunch, I have a hip flask that I use during the afternoon. I go to the pub for a few scoops and chasers on the way home and have a few more beers with me dinner. Then the wife and myself drink a few bottles of wine in front of the telly and then I’ll have half a bottle of whiskey for a nightcap before bed and repeat Monday to Friday. At the weekends I really go on the tear and would drink twice that”.
Padraig from Scotland stands up and says, “I’m Padraig and I’m an alcoholic. I drink 6 shorts with breakfast, another 8 for elevenses, go for 6 beers at lunch, I have two hip flasks that I use during the afternoon. I go to the pub for a few scoops and chasers on the way home and have another 6 beers with me dinner. Then the girlfriend myself drink probably 4 bottles of wine between us in the evening and then I’ll have a naggin of vodka for a nightcap before bed and repeat Monday to Friday. At the weekends I really go on the tear and would drink three times that”.
Padraig from Ireland stands up and says, “sure these two boys can’t drink at all..”
There is a legal limit for pilots?
There is. It’s very low (lower than the limit for drivers) but it exists.
The Pilot probably just bottled it!
So you’re saying there are drunk Latvian stewardesses on airBaltic flights? Giggity!
have your say