Ms Mary Rose Burke:

I will add a couple of comments. I am conscious that the Deputy's question was very much rooted in matters relating to the north-west region. One of one of the initiatives we undertook in 2018 was a national conversation whereby Dublin Chamber of Commerce was involved in sending a roadshow to the other cities listed in the national development plan.

The roadshow went to Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway asking what did they want for and from their capital city. The upshot was a shared understanding between the cities that the issues facing cities as centres of economic growth were similar. Housing and transport were issues for everybody. So too was attractiveness as a place to bring talent. In a knowledge economy, the jobs follow the talent.

We also look at the position internationally. We understand that the cities and urban areas that do well are those that have academic, business and political leadership that come together with a vision for the area, and take the long-term view.

I certainly understand the frustration. Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned empty shops. By the time one's main street has empty shops on it, that is merely an outcome from previous policy decisions. Typically, when one examines towns where that has happened, one will see that the cinema, swimming pool, schools or supermarkets all moved out to the edges. Retail is a footfall feeder, not a footfall driver. By the time one's main street has empty shops, the issues have happened 30 years beforehand. We need to learn from where measures have worked well and how we plan our urban centres.

We also need to have a grown-up conversation about the future being urban in Ireland. The international and global trend is towards urbanisation. City regions will be the economic hubs for their areas and how we support them properly.

We are clear that Dublin does not compete with Galway, the mid-west or any other area. Rather we are competing with other international economic centres. If something is lost to Dublin, it is lost to the country. It is not available for disbursement around the city. We need to pull together.

We are finalising a big piece of work that we will be sharing with various Deputies on countries where the capital city is successful and where the reputation of the city internally is strong. There is a number of issues around city regions, urbanisation and that leadership, but also decrying a current problem without understanding the root cause that, typically, has happened 20 years ago.