Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State touched on a number of issues in a short time. The task force has the potential to be really important. Perceptions of safety in the city, and safety, are fundamental to fostering a positive atmosphere for retail and otherwise. When the task force reports in August, can the Minister of State guarantee that its report will be acted upon and budgeted for in terms of Garda presence, for example? Retailers are crying out for this when I engage with them. On footfall, hybrid work has changed the nature of commercial activity in the city. That began before Covid, I would say, when the M50 motorway was built. To get people back into the city we need to open the markets such as the Iveagh Markets and, on my side of the city, the market falsely known as the Smithfield market just beyond Capel Street. Maybe the Minister of State could engage with Dublin City Council in terms of getting those innovations open. At the top of O'Connell Street, the Ambassador Theatre is the first point of dereliction as you walk into O'Connell Street. Many retailers in O'Connell Street tell me consistently that this starting point of dereliction presents a poor narrative of the city to those walking in.

That is another innovation on which the Minister of State might engage with Dublin City Council.

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