James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The introduction of any new tax or levy will never be a popular initiative. I fully acknowledge that if the Government took a decision that the way in which the recommendations of the Dublin city task force were to be funded is through the introduction of an accommodation levy, the Department and the line Minister would have a huge role in engaging with the hotel sector and the tourism sector on such a proposal. However, I think we could get buy-in from that sector. I know from my previous role as Lord Mayor of Dublin that they are just as concerned about the issue of safety in Dublin city as everyone else is. They are just as concerned about dereliction and decay as everyone else is. Notwithstanding the challenges that Dublin city faces, at the moment about 20,000 bed spaces have planning permission granted and are in the pipeline in Dublin city.

Respectfully, it is my view that if the Government, as it will be, is faced with the funding choices for these recommendations, ultimately the choice will be whether local property taxpayers should pay for the rejuvenation of Dublin city. Will smaller business ratepayers pay for the funding of the rejuvenation of Dublin city or will we find an alternative means? I do not think the approach that has been adopted in recent years where so much of the funding for our local authority in Dublin city and throughout the country is reliant upon big government block grants will work. The task force makes clear that we need a strong local authority, a strong Dublin city, which can raise its own funding and can fund the rejuvenation that we absolutely need to ensure we have a safe city and a city we can all be proud of.

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