Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, an important one to many Deputies living in Dublin and to the general population. Dublin city centre has always been a vibrant destination for the locals, visitors and tourists who come here to enjoy all the wonderful amenities it has to offer. Recently, however, the social and cultural character of the city centre has changed, with increased concerns for public safety and a diminished overall experience on our streets.

In response to this, earlier this month on 7 May, the Government agreed to appoint a task force to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre, both north and south. The goal is to make the whole of Dublin city centre a more thriving, attractive and safe cityscape, and a desirable location in which to live, work and do business and to visit.

David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, has agreed to serve as the independent chair of the task force and will bring his wealth of insights and experience to the role. He will be assisted in that work by a membership including public service representation via Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána and the National Transport Authority, as well as representatives of city centre businesses, trade unions, community service providers, and cultural and arts providers.

Evidence from international perspectives suggests cities need to take an integrated approach that includes a wide range of actions to create socially, economically and environmentally sustainable city centres that can thrive and are good places to live. We want our city to be a safe place with a low crime rate. This will make it a better place for the community who live there and will encourage people to visit, socialise and consume goods and services in the area.

Public realm design impacts how the city feels. Good public realm ensures our streets are designed to be enjoyed. This can include trees and planting, street art and sculpture, places to sit and congregate and formal and informal play spaces to be enjoyed by people young and old.

International experience also considers aspects such as pedestrian and cycle access; special events; maximising the impact of green and play spaces; encouraging development, retrofit or restoration of buildings; and ensuring the right mix of public services for vulnerable groups who come into the city centre. These initiatives have the potential to create diversity of people in city centres, increasing footfall generally and ensuring there is footfall over the course of the day and evening.

Over the next 12 weeks, the task force will interrogate and harness existing efforts and initiatives to inform its work. Taking an evidence-based approach to that work, the task force will deliver a cohesive and focused list of recommendations, which will complement work already under way within Dublin city co-ordination offices and existing initiatives such as Dublin’s north east inner city initiative and the Dublin north inner city local community safety partnership. As well as drawing on existing work and community engagement processes, the chair of the task force will consider how best to engage with the community in Dublin city as part of the task force’s programme of work

It is agreed that these initiatives are highly relevant to the wider city centre area but there is a need to consider what additional co-ordinated activities could galvanise actions for a vibrant, attractive and safe city centre for everyone who visits, lives and works there. The task force will consider what additional co-ordinated activities could galvanise actions to return Dublin’s city centre to the vibrant destination we know it to be.

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