Costello statement on the trees

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday November 08, 2002 14:10 by Motion

"That the Central Area Committee expresses its concern at the felling of nearly 50% of the mature London Plane trees on O'Connell Street and that no further trees be felled without the express permission of the Monitoring Committee of the O'Connell Street Integrated Area Plan at its next meeting on 15th November"

Labour Party Deputy for Dublin Central, Joe Costello has tabled an emergency
motion to the Central Area Committee of Dublin City Council calling for a
suspension of the felling of trees on O'Connell Street until the O'Connell
Street Monitoring Committee meets to discuss the matter on 15th November.

The text of Deputy Costello's motion reads:

"That the Central Area Committee expresses its concern at the felling of nearly
50% of the mature London Plane trees on O'Connell Street and that no further
trees be felled without the express permission of the Monitoring Committee of
the O'Connell Street Integrated Area Plan at its next meeting on 15th November"

Deputy Costello, who is a member of the Monitoring Committee and a former
Chairman expressed his concerns ? "there has been much concern expressed about
the way in which these trees have been felled in such a speedy and casual
manner. These trees, many of them over a hundred years old, are an integral part
of the street, and their removal was not given enough consideration."

"I have therefore called for the immediate suspension of the felling of trees on
O'Connell Street until the Monitoring Committee meets to discuss the matter at
its next meeting on 15th November. We need to have a full and thorough debate on
the issue before any further developments take place", he added.