Dominick Donnelly

There is an article on page 8 of today’s Irish Examiner by Sean O’Riordan, with comments from Capt. Michael McCarthy of the Port of Cork, which can be described as nothing less than scurrilous and pure propaganda.  For a journalist of Sean O’Riordan’s standing to put his name to a diatribe like this shows that there is no such thing as journalism any more, just propaganda and spin.  For Sean O’Riordan not to give either Dan Boyle or myself a right to respond to the completely false allegations against us personally and against the Green Party contained in the article, and for the article to appear in the paper on polling day when there is no time for a right of reply shows a complete lack of any journalistic ethic by either Sean O’Riordan or his editors.

As for the Port of Cork getting involved so overtly politically, this is not surprising, as their senior management and board are riddled with political appointees.  Previously I would have considered Michael McCarthy a gentleman.  I clearly gave the man too much credit.  For him to misconstue in this way what the Green Party, through Dan Boyle and myself, has said and done with regard to Cork Harbour and the Port of Cork, is to show that this article is purely an attempt at political manipulation by the Port, and the article has no basis in fact.

I will finish by saying that I hope people are not taken in by this rant from the Port of Cork.  For the record there are links below to both my written and oral statements to An Bord Pleanala on the Port of Cork’s application to move their container terminal to Ringaskiddy last year.  These clearly outline that while I did vehemently oppose the port’s proposal, I am not in any way anti-port or anti-trade.  In fact within my oral submission I argue that in the long term this move would make the region less competitive, as the port would quite simply be located in the wrong place in the harbour.  I sincerely believe that if this move goes ahead, it will prove in the long term to be detrimental to Irish trade and local industry.  The Green Party’s proposals for the development of tourism infrastructure in Cork Harbour are not in any way anti-port or anti-trade.

Dominick’s written submission to An Bord Pleanala about Port of Cork’s proposal to move their container terminal to Ringaskiddy:  https://dominickdonnelly.com/links/written-submission-to-an-bord-pleanala-about-port-of-cork-in-ringaskiddy/

Dominick’s oral submission to An Bord Pleanala oral hearing for the Port of Cork’s proposal to move their container terminal to Ringaskiddy:  https://dominickdonnelly.com/links/dominicks-oral-submission-to-port-of-cork-oral-hearing/