Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If take Moore Street as an emblem and an example of the interest of the State and successive governments in the regeneration of Dublin's north inner city, I can tell the House that it tells a very depressing tale. It tells a tale not just of indifference to those families and communities in the here and now, but also of utter and gross disrespect for the history and the historic nature of the Moore Street quarter. I very much welcome the fact that the GPO will be put to good use and that a cultural hub and quarter will be developed around it. This should extend to Moore Street and the lanes of history. Do I hold out much hope of this Government actually investing in that? Quite frankly, no.

I welcome the proposal for 1,000 extra gardaí. I would be very curious to know the timeline for that, the funding that will be put aside for it and, as Deputy Bacik has said, the recruitment plan for that.

A significant portion of the entire transient and homeless population of the State is resident in Dublin 1. It is a quilt of hostels and emergency services for some of the most broken citizens in our State. It has become a dumping ground. I am loath to use this term because we are all human beings and worthy of respect and support, but I want to register in the clearest possible terms the feelings of the inner city communities that they have been left behind and put upon. For those reasons, this strategy had better work.

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