Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

The bad aluminium street signs falling apart after 20 years were a retrograde step. We need to rediscover good materials such as cast-iron signage and natural stone. The examples I would look at are cities such as Ferrara and Bologna in Italy and Barcelona in Spain which do things well. Such cities do not use business improvement districts. They use the local authorities and they have reinvigorated them and given the power, ability and funding to deliver on improving the public space. That is significantly important.

I am tabling amendments to the Bill this evening. One of the most important concerns the idea that we must work with the existing residential community as well. I favour mixed use communities, that is, businesses and residential units in the same area. It is important that we harness the know-how of those communities and allow the residents and communities representation.

This is being rushed and I disagree with that process. I am putting forward amendments to it. Behind all of this is the need to give local authorities the power and clout they deserve. Sadly, I do not think Fianna Fáil and the Minister believe in it. If the Minister did, he would put local authorities on a firm financial footing and that would really harness the creative energy which local communities and local businesses possess and which, if all hands were put to the wheel, would really deliver the best for local communities. There are good examples of that, but they are against the odds.

I worry that it could go dramatically wrong. I look at one of the towns in the Minister's constituency, Wicklow town, where businesses have sponsored seats and put their advertising onto them. That is how one does it badly. We need to do it well and I am not convinced that rushing through a Bill over the next 40 minutes will do that ultimately.

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