Department of Justice's illegal development off Mary Street

ODS

I saw this elsewhere and thought it may be of interest here. The Dept of Justice would appear to be breaking the law at Wolfe Tone Street - building a 15,000 sq ft probation centre in an apartment complex ground floor, despite receiving a letter from DCC Planning Enforcement last month.

According to the Justice Department, the unit is to be for "persistent offenders" from the "greater Dublin area". They say the massive 15,000 sq ft scheme is only going to deal with 12 people - why do I not believe them?

At the same time, nearby Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station is being closed with no schedule as to when it is to reopen.

So at a time of rising crime, the state takes away the apparatus providing law and order - while placing a massive new security load on a less well healed area. Talk about ghettoisation.

Fair dues to the local residents and businesses who are kicking up... How rotten are things getting in this country when the supposed Dept of Justice is now involved with breaking the law?


Don't let serial killer suspect live near us, plead Dublin families

By Geraldine Gittens
Friday March 26 2010
FAMILIES in Dublin's north inner city are fighting to stop a new ex-prisoners' centre being built -- because they fear sex offenders and drug dealers will be using it.

A centre for the probation of ex-prisoners is currently being built in the old Roches Stores warehouse on Wolfe Tone Street -- and residents are furious because they say they were not informed about the project.

They fear drug dealers and sex offenders who have been released from prison will be rehabilitated close to their homes and will pose a threat to their families. And locals are terrified that notorious rapists Larry Murphy and Michael Murray will be among the first catered for there.

Murphy is due for release during the summer while Murray has been back on our streets since last year.

Locals have been holding a number of protests, including a large gathering last night.

Catherine Wilson said: "They're building the facility across the road from us on Wolfe Tone Street and it's going to be a rehabilitation centre for ex-prisoners.

"We are afraid it will be used for sex offenders and it will be a methadone clinic as well. We're very scared."

Works began on the centre in January and it is expected to be completed in May.

"They're telling us that there's not going to be drugs or sex-offenders, but we believe there will be. We're trying to stop it altogether."

The project, which is funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, will aim to help prisoners break the cycle of reoffending and to reintegrate into the wider community through education and life skills development.

Elderly residents are also fearful about the new centre. Frank Lynan (73) said: "I'm annoyed that they even consider opening a centre like that in the area."

The Bridge Project, currently in Parnell Street, has been operating in Dublin for the past 15 years and residents insist it should stay in its current location. A Department of Justice spokesman refused to confirm or deny if the project would cater for sex offenders who have been released from prison.

Meanwhile, enforcement officers from Dublin City Council have inspected the building on Wolfe Tone Street but are powerless to intervene, the Herald has learned.

A Herald investigation has discovered that the current planning permission for the premises stipulates that it can be used for storage only.

And Dublin City Council has confirmed it has not received an application for a change of use that would allow a rehabilitation centre to be set up.

hnews@herald.ie

- Geraldine Gittens




Families in protest over prison centre

By Geraldine Gittens
Wednesday April 07 2010
ANGRY residents fighting to stop a new ex-prisoners' centre being built in Dublin's north inner city staged a sit-in protest in the building.

A group of seven worried local women are demanding the immediate cessation of construction on the Bridge Project, a rehabilitation centre for ex-prisoners on Wolfe Tone Street, Dublin 1.

They are accusing the Department of Justice of breaking the law, since it did not obtain planning permission for the project -- and they are liable for prosecution by staging the protest.

But the women told the Herald yesterday that an overnight sit-in is their only hope to stall works on the Bridge Project, since the Department of Justice or the Bridge Project have not attended their public meetings.

Catherine Winston, one of the protesters and residents, said: "We're inside, the seven of us, and the superintendent said we have to leave but we're not leaving."

"They haven't stopped working and we're going to inform the superintendent that we want to stay. We're prepared to stay here."

The group is horrified that work is still ongoing on the Bridge Project despite the fact that the Department of Justice is now seeking legal advice on the planning status of the project.

"People are livid and we're hoping to get a crowd tomorrow for a protest. The whole of Dublin will be hanging around, because the centre is going to be for the greater Dublin area."

"They'll come from everywhere, but why is the centre being dumped here? We're very concerned," she added.

A spokesperson from Dublin City Council explained that a planning application for the building has not been registered with the council.

He added: "Dublin City Council's Planning Enforcement Section has received a number of complaints in relation to unauthorised change of use at this location. These are currently being investigated and a decision on this will be taken in due course."

The Department of Justice would not comment on whether it is going to cease works on the building.

hnews@herald.ie

- Geraldine Gittens


Any thoughts? Apparently the location is adjacent to two of the city's largest toy stores :eek:

Mr Jinx

That area is always full of junkies and scumbags anyway whenever I pass by that area.

ODS

Mr Jinx wrote: »

That area is always full of junkies and scumbags anyway whenever I pass by that area.

"anyway" - what? So write it off altogether by removing the nearby Garda Station while dumping the social problems of the greater Dublin area on to the place?

Still I am sure its nice for others who possibly live elsewhere in caged ghettoes gated communities to approve of such social apartheid :rolleyes:

ODS

A bit more on the same - a press release I received a fortnight ago setting out the concerns of businesses and residents:


PRESS NOTICE AND RELEASE


Press Notice for public meeting TONIGHT in Dublin City Centre regarding an unauthorised 15,000 Sq Ft facility being developed off Mary Street by Dept of Justice for prisoners on probation

WEDS 31ST MARCH 2010


The residents and businesses of the O'Connell Street / Capel Street area hereby wish to give notice to members of the press and others that a major public meeting takes place TONIGHT at 18.15 in the Church Bar (formerly St Mary's CoI Church) on Mary Street, Dublin 1.

This urgent meeting concerns the unauthorised development by a Department of Justice scheme, known as the Bridge Project, who are presently working on turning a massive 15,000 square feet area vacant ground floor unit at 23-31 Wolfe Tone Street into a facility to provide what the Bridge Project terms as "intensive probation supervision" for "persistent offenders from the Dublin area". Wolfe Tone Street runs immediately parallel to Capel Street, and connects Mary Street to Parnell Street.

Remarkably this facility, to be located in a densely populated residential and commercial area and sited on the ground floor of a large apartment complex, has no planning permission - even though €1 million has already been wasted by the Justice Dept in commissioning the project.

Moreover we advise the press that despite Enforcement Proceedings having quickly been begun by the Local Authority, construction works are continuing and have quickened on-site by contractors hired by the Justice Dept.

On March 22nd Dublin City Council issued a "Warning Letter under Section 152 of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2006" to Justice Dept's "Bridge Project" in which they stated "You should note that planning permission granted on 9th January 2001 for this development (a ground floor retail / office) expired on 8th January 2006". Please see Dublin City Council File Ref. E0167/ 10 for more.

No site notice was ever erected by the Justice Dept at the site for the new development

Hence we call on the Department of Justice to immediately cease and desist from these unauthorised works.

We also call on Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to make a public statement as a matter of urgency - and if needs be to investigate a development commissioned by the State.

We note that there does not appear to be any record of the €0.958 million fit-out on the Office of Public Works E-tender website, and we call on the Justice Dept to explain how such a tender was awarded.

Furthermore we note the zoning in the Dublin City Council Development Plan states that Wolfe Tone Street is Z5 - yet this development requires a Z15 zoning.

Finally we note this is happening at the same time as the nearby Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station is being closed down, purportedly for refurbishment - yet we understand there is neither money in place nor a schedule as to when that Garda Station is to reopen.

Rather than wasting €1 million of tax-payers money on an illegal development, we strongly urge the Department of Justice to adhere to their legal responsibilities and put the money into better policing of the inner city area instead.

Members of the press, public, and others, are invited to attend tonight's meeting, which we believe will be well attended by an incredibly concerned city centre community of resident and business interests.

ENDS