Sir, – On reading that it would take up to 15 years to construct apartments near Heuston Station (“Heuston masterplan”, November 16th), I was struck again by one of the key facts about building and infrastructure in Ireland: it takes an age to get anything done.
Where I live – in Clongriffin in north Dublin – building of houses and apartments first commenced around 25 years ago. The estate is still largely unfinished; windswept plots have long stood idle and, as with so many new-build developments in Ireland, the area is bereft of services.
People who bought here as young parents, in excited and reasonable expectation of the vibrant “town” that the council and the builder promised in plans and glossy brochures, will be pensioners before the place they spent most of their lives in is complete.
This week, the developer put this fully serviced land up for sale rather than build on it. That it can take decades to build unremarkable housing on relatively modestly sized tranches of land does not seem to especially concern our public servants and politicians.
When I asked one yesterday about the timelines for the work at Heuston, he shrugged and suggested 30 years as a better bet.– Yours, etc,
ANDREW QUINN,
Clongriffin, Dublin 13.