Delays to the consultation process on the Phoenix Park Traffic Management Strategy

On the 16th of July Minister Patrick O'Donovan, after his decision to re-open the Phoenix Park gates, told us a "consultation process on the Phoenix Park Traffic Management Strategy, involving all stakeholders" was expected to take place during August/September of this year. As of the 9th of September the Minister is now saying he cannot confirm exact dates for commencement and completion of such a process but that he wants to advance this process in "coming weeks and months." It is disappointing to see that the dates on this important piece of work are slipping already.

The decision making process around the Minister’s reopening of the Phoenix park gates was opaque. As documented from numerous Freedom of Information requests (see summary here), there was no data to support reopening the gates from An Garda Síochána, Dublin City Council or the OPW itself. The OPW’s own records showed the public were overwhelmingly in favour of the closure of the gates.

The only positive from the whole affair was that the Minister commited to a prompt turnaround on the consultation process. It’s dissapointing that this consultation process is now being pushed out to some undefined point in the future.

References

• Original commitment to August/September consultation process.
• Revision of dates for consultation process

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