I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the issue of Dublin Bay and the proposed 52 acre infill by the port company. While many people feel this is a local issue, that is not the case. The issue of the bay is about the preservation of the environment and of a valuable national asset. People who see it as a local issue are misguided. It is a national issue as Dublin Bay belongs to the people of Dublin and Ireland, not just to the port company.
I was elected on this issue and it is essential I accept my democratic mandate and say to the Dáil and the Minister that the people want me to reflect that view here. I follow in the tradition of that great politician, Seán Dublin Bay Loftus, and I hope the Minister will respect the wishes of the people and do all in his power to stop this infill and the destruction of our bay.
Not only would this be an environmental disaster for all concerned but it has the potential to affect the whole city, particularly in regard to flooding. It does not make economic sense when we consider the traffic congestion problems in our city. We need new radical ideas to develop our ports and successive Governments should have listened to the detailed plans and proposals to develop our port north of Dublin put forward by people such as Seán Dublin Bay Loftus. People are genuinely upset at the prospect of our bay being filled in, with further pollution of our seas. It is not acceptable and the Government and port company must listen to the will of the people. It is no good lecturing Tony Blair and his Government about Sellafield when our own port company wants to wipe out 52 acres of our beautiful bay.
I ask the port company to follow the good example of Dublin City Council which is spending over €200 million cleaning up the bay. This is an example of good practice which should be heeded by everyone with the interests of the bay at heart. I pay tribute to the great work of groups like Baywatch, an environmental group based in Clontarf, and the Clontarf residents' association. These voluntary groups have been the backbone of the professional campaign to preserve our bay and I commend them. I intend to be their voice in the Dáil. Despite what many parties might say, I will honour that mandate. It is simply not acceptable that a port company can force a policy on people against their will while sites are lying idle in the port and space is freely available. Will the Minister tell me if there is a hidden agenda here and is there a possibility of the 52 acre real estate being available on the open market? Let us have transparency and openness in this debate.
Another potential damaging project in our community is a planning application by a company called Minichem, which deals in chemical and hazardous waste, in the port area. This could be a mini-Sellafield and it is up to all of us to be on our guard about this recent development. I urge all parties to back local groups in their campaign against the 52 acre infill. This issue is important and I urge everyone here to take the broader view, the long-term interest of the bay, the environment and the country.