A very welcome development of housing for older persons and a primary health care centre is going onto the Christian Brothers’ site in Baldoyle.  However, the current site includes the Pastoral Centre which is the most important venue for community activity in Baldoyle
I raised the importance of community facilities in my submission.

As a result of this and of discussion at the Area Committee, the Bereavement Counselling Service are being accommodated in the new buildings.

However, other activities which use the Pastoral Centre are not being facilitated.  The Community Department of the Council has been looking for alternative accommodation but has not found any yet.

As a result, I proposed the following condition to the plans at last Monday’s Council meeting:

"The plans will be adjusted to provide for an area of at
least 200m2 to be made available to voluntary and community organizations and
services currently
facilitated by the Pastoral Centre on this site unless this is found not to be necessary."

This was defeated.  I hope that alternative accommodation will be provided, but the very slow pace of movement on community facilities in both Howth and Baldoyle is not encouraging.