Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, can I say in respect of discussions about the embassy reopening in Iran that if we decided to never have diplomatic relations with countries we did not agree with or had issues with, we would have to close embassies in lots of countries. It is important that the reopening of diplomatic relations or of an embassy is not an endorsement of behaviour or practices in Iran but is an opportunity for us to engage more directly with Iran to show them why what is happening there is reprehensible.

I want to address the changes that occurred during lockdown and during the pandemic when all over the country, local authorities put in place measures to encourage outdoor dining and the use of outdoor spaces in towns and villages. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, to a large extent we were the frontrunners in that respect. Throughout Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in places like Blackrock's Main Street and the coastal cycle route along Seapoint Avenue into Dún Laoghaire, the local authority really did take an opportunity to build infrastructure that benefited the people who live in the area and the businesses that trade in the area. That is not to say this was not without problems but on the whole, it was really good. Obviously the provisions the Government put in place had to come to an end at a certain point. The supports that were there to cover the cost of licences etc. all had to come to an end and that was flagged in advance. Now local authorities all over the country, including Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, must decide whether to put things back the way they were or not. Where those systems have worked, it is imperative on local authorities to make sure they remain.Where there are restaurants with outdoor dining spaces and businesses with outdoor spaces that work for the people they serve and within that community, they should remain. Obviously, there will be times when that does not happen. I am aware that the council is now making those decisions in Dún Laoghaire, Foxrock and other places in my area, sometimes controversially. What is most important about that is -and there could be guidance from the Department in this regard - that it should be pointed out to the councils that they need to do so sensitively, collaboratively and in consultation with the local communities and businesses. Councils need to explain the reasons they are looking at the outdoor areas, what the criteria are and, if they decide to remove an area, why they have done so and, perhaps most importantly, councils need to make sure people understand that decision can be appealed and they are not being cut out of the process.