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THE ISRAELI EMBASSY in Ireland has stated that a planned redevelopment of Carrisbrook House in Dublin 4 “could be a significant threat to the security and privacy” of its operation.
Israel’s Dublin-based embassy, which is currently housed on the fifth floor of Carrisbrook House, has put a block on the plans for the building after it lodged an appeal against a decision by Dublin council which gave Spectre (Carrisbrook) Ltd the green light to revamp the office block.
Previously, the IDA’s €1 million a year expenditure on lease payments on the largely-empty Carrisbrook House came under the political spotlight.
Comptroller and auditor general Seamus McCarthy told a Public Accounts Committee hearing in July 2016 that it was difficult to market the property because of security risks as the Israeli embassy was a subtenant of the property.
As result, the property was 85% vacant for a number of years. Business Minister Heather Humphreys previously told the Dáil that the IDA exited the lease in December 2015 “as it was the least costly option for the State”.
The IDA’s lease agreement was not due to expire until 2034 and it cost the IDA €9.4 million to exit the lease.
However, Minister Humphreys said while it represented a significant amount, it was “a saving to the State of an estimated €13.65 million in comparison to maintaining the lease until completion”.
According to the company’s accounts, Spectre (Carrisbrook) Ltd, which was incorporated last year, is owned by Luxembourg Investment Company 112 S.á.r.l (1).
In a planning submission, Spectre (Carrisbrook) Ltd proposed external and internal alterations of the existing building. It planned to demolish some structures on the grounds in order to extend the office block.
The city council gave the plan to redevelop the building the go-ahead in spite of an objection lodged by Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Ze’ev Boker, who noted that the embassy has been a tenant of Carrisbrook House since 1996.
He stated: “We wish to reserve our rights of quiet enjoyment of the 5th floor of the property and ensure that the embassy will be capable of its full and normal operation during the proposed works should planning permission be granted.”
Boker said that “a further concern is to ensure the security will be maintained at the property and its surrounding areas”.
He added: “We trust that our concerns regarding the likely significant disruption will be taken into account … given our unique position as the sole tenant in the property and the necessity to continue our function as an embassy.”
After the local authority’s decision to award planning permission to Spectre (Carrisbrook) Ltd, the embassy has now formally appealed the decision.
Objection
In its appeal, the embassy stated: “We ask the board to note that nothing in the appeal shall be construed as a waiver of the privileges and the immunity of the Embassy of Israel.”
The appeal claims that Dublin council failed to give due consideration to the Israeli Ambassador’s submission.
It added that the layout and design of the proposed extensions to the building could adversely impact on the privacy and security of the established embassy offices.
It also stated that the planned four-storey extension of the redevelopment “could be a significant threat to the security and privacy of the fifth floor”.
The embassy has requested that the board issue a notice for the applicant to make explicit provision for the continuation of the use of the fifth floor as an embassy and to amend the architectural design to address the embassy’s concerns.
A decision is due on the appeal later this year.
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Yes. Nice Christmas tradition to keep up, letting people know that you’re thinking about them, and nice to be able to buy them for charities too.
@GrumpyAulFella: Isnt that what social media, telephones, and private messages does in modern times? You can donate to charities when ever you want?
@Stephen Campbell: no it’s not, cards are a nice way for someone to physically receive something from someone that shows they are being thought about especially folks that live alone.
@Stephen Campbell: Oh yea the lazy incencer way, I almost forgot that.
@Stephen Campbell: I’ll just show my 92 year old mother how to setup a FB account so she can post to her relatives in the UK. She can then set herself up on online banking, buy a mobile and use MFA to send a few bob to Barnardos. I don’t think so.
@Stephen Campbell: You can physically keep a card. It literally has the senders DNA on it. It is so personal.
@GrumpyAulFella: you must be over 60
@Frankie J: so true
@Alan Campbell: “you must be over 60”. You say that as if it’s something bad or to be ashamed of
@Alan Campbell: Strange remark. What’s his alternative option?
A handwritten greeting on a card sent through the post is more intimate than a fancy emailed card.
@Garreth Byrne: and letters instead of emails
No, but the wife does!
@Billy O’Brien: Came to say the same thing haha
I do to family and friends that are overseas or I’m unlikely to see over the holidays. As for them going in the bin, that’s fair enough in other homes but I keep most of ours. Nice to look back on.
Poll – ‘Do you send cards to people for Christmas?’ Yes, I generally send mine to people as they’re more likely to appreciate the gesture than non-people. I have heard of ones specifically designed for non-people like pets though. I’m not sure if other non-people such as aliens celebrate Christmas although Chris De Burgh would have us believe they do ‘La la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la, oh…’ When is An Post last day for posting to Alpha Centauri I wonder…
@William Tallon: New Poll… how many people have sang along to the tune … la la la la ….
@William Tallon: New Poll, How many people have sang along to that tune … la la la la..
@William Tallon: New Poll, How many people have sang along to that tune … la la la la..
@William Tallon: Funny. I always took that song as aliens being the cause of Christmas? That Christ came here from another time/galaxy/universe.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Well either way it was a good excuse for writing a catchy tune…
I’ve always felt terribly sorry for the people who design, paint, or print Christmas Cards. Any appreciation of their work is so short – lived.
A big waste of money, paper and a fine pile for the bin by the 6th of January.
Rubbish that ends up in landfill or an incinerator.
If you have family or friends living far away wouldn’t a 5 minute phone call be better then some overpriced piece of cardboard?
@Will: Bah Humbug…
@maurolee: ‘Bah Humbug…’
What really shows someone you’re thinking of them? A mass produced hallmark card or a phone call when you can tell them personally how much they mean to you and actually hear their voice?
Christmas cards are about as personable as a business card.
Expensive and unnecessary rubbish.
@Will: Christmas cards are cheap, recyclable, are an avenue for charitable donations, may be kept as a memento, hung over the fireplace for decoration etc. A phone call is fleeting, soon forgotten, may be expensive and carries no opportunity to provide charity to others. Give me a card any day of the week.
@Will: No. Letters and cards can be kept for your whole life.
@Will: just because someone sends a card doesn’t mean they’re not also phoning for a chat.
The parents do and put my name on them.
I send cards to friends and family overseas those I’m not likely to see over Christmas. As for them being dumped Not in my house, I keep the majority of our cards.
I didn’t bother with the Irish ones this year as the stamps were too embarrassing – just cheap emojis with inane slogans. The international ones were just okay.
@Willie Penwright: so you didn’t send Christmas cards because you don’t like the stamp design?
@This time its personable!: Obviously his entire world is full of avid stamp collectors who will feel cheated if he doesn’t send them Penny Blacks every year. The rest of us are keeping in touch regardless!
Happy Christmas
Why send cards when you have social media to send Christmas greetings
@Mick Dunne: … to help out a charity? I always buy E10 worth of Vincent de Paul cards.
@Mick Dunne: your mantle piece must be very bare
@Alan Campbell: why not just give vinny €10 after card costs he looking at only €6 tops
Can’t afford stamps on a state pension.
No i dont send any out the price of the stamps is enough to turn ya off
I know what you mean, it keeps going up. Still, in normal years, it’s a good chance to meet up and exchange cards.
This is going to make me look bad. As soon as they drop on the mat they are put straight into the recycling. Most I don’t even open.
@LUCY Thomas: you are right about one thing, it does make you look bad. Very bad. Someone has gone to the trouble of buying a card, writing a message, posting it to you and you just put it in the bin straight away? How selfish.
@LUCY Thomas: Would you not mention to the senders that you don’t do Christmas cards and suggest some other way of keeping in touch?
I’m sorry but I’m grinning at the amount of bank notes and lottery cards you’ve thrown out along with your personal information!
@Liz Gallagher: I will elaborate further. I wholeheartedly accept your comment on how I deal with it. I don’t do card and I will always acknowledge a card. But I feel nothing for them, my husband thinks I’m “brutal” for it. He will often take them out and keep them. When I was younger growing up into a teenager it became apparent to me how little thought was put Into them by my mother, often on my birthday for instance I would receive a gift in a co-op bag around 5pm on my birthday not wrapped, it was done like this because she had forgotten or didn’t care. Also her cards if one was written was half a ss. So from a young age I’ve grown up with this idea people don’t really care.
I see my husband and his family and its alien to me.. they are much more tactile with one another.
I made a personal birthday card out of a hover bag once – Didn’t go down well
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