Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Ministers of State, Deputies Richmond and Calleary, and I met all of the business representative bodies yesterday and Dublin City Council for about an hour. We have been in contact over the past few days with all the representative bodies, listening to their experiences, looking for a way to collectively respond to rebuilding the reputation of the city centre and to get more activity between now and Christmas and into the new year. There is an ask to maintain a Garda presence on the streets, to which the Government is responding. We will also partner with Dublin City Council on a new initiative it will lead between now and the end of the year to improve the experience in the city centre for families, teenagers, the young and not so young to come in and spend time and money in the city centre. What is needed after the awful events of last Thursday night is unity of purpose between traders, Government, the political system and local authorities to get positive momentum back into the build-up to Christmas in Dublin city centre. We will not be found wanting in financial support for those efforts and any other policy support we can provide.