Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nobody involved in the process has the objective of seeking to turn our city centre into a no-go zone or to get to a point at which our city is hollowed out. The objective of the proposals the city council is putting forward is the opposite of this. It wants to create a more vibrant and sustainable city centre balancing the huge number of people passing through it with the needs of the business community and the growing residential community. This is fully recognised by the Government, which is why we are investing in the Luas cross-city project and why we have invested more than €97 million in recent years. We will support good plans for the area depending on the funding available to us. I agree with the Deputy we need a good consultation process and this is under way. I will make comment, and the Department will become involved, at the end of this process when everybody has had an opportunity to make known his or her views.

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