Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on his Department’s interdepartmental group report on the Dublin city task force recommendations. [22232/25]

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the Cork city task force. [25116/25]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on his Department's interdepartmental group report on the Dublin city task force recommendations [26976/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the Cork city task force. [29738/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on his Department's interdepartmental group report on the Dublin city task force recommendations. [32307/25]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on his Department’s interdepartmental group report on the Dublin city task force recommendations. [32435/25]

Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide details on the implementation of the Dublin city task force recommendations through his Department. [32469/25]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force recommendations through his Department, and on his plans to apply the task force model to other areas in need of revitalisation. [32473/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 16, inclusive together.

As agreed by the Government, the Department of the Taoiseach has convened an interdepartmental group to examine the recommendations made by the Dublin city task force. The goal is to make Dublin city centre a more thriving, attractive and safe cityscape and a desirable location to live, work and do business in and visit. To deliver on these missions, the task force identified ten big moves that it recommended be addressed.

I met Mr. David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, who chaired the task force, in April to discuss the IDG's work to take forward the task force's recommendations. The IDG is currently finalising its report, which will be the subject of a memorandum to be submitted to the Government next week. Following this, further consideration will be given to how best the task force approach could be deployed in other cities, towns and regions, as outlined in the programme for Government. Regarding the memo to Government, there is obviously then a further context, which is the national development plan.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy has a minute and a half, as we have fewer Deputies than questions.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I have two questions about the task force. We see a huge number of issues in Dublin that need to be addressed urgently. There is a deteriorating public realm, vast numbers of vacant sites and derelict buildings, mouldy and damp social housing, including issues with social housing complexes in my constituency, and a lack of joined-up thinking about keeping spaces safe.

Given the need for funding to be put in place to implement the recommendations of the task force, will the Taoiseach consider allowing local authorities to levy a hotel bed tax if they wish in order to raise funds to be invested in local infrastructure? That is my first question.

Second, will the Government ensure the maintenance of face-to-face public services? I speak in particular about postal services. It is somewhat ironic that the chief executive officer of An Post was the independent chair of the task force, yet An Post has been closing postal services in Dublin city. I speak particularly about Rathmines post office, which was in an iconic 1934 building in the heart of Rathmines. We have just learned it is to be closed by An Post, with the service to be moved elsewhere and, apparently, the building to be put up for sale. This sends an unfortunate signal to communities. We are seeing face-to-face public services close and iconic public realm buildings being put up for sale to the private sector. That is a loss to the community. We have seen the loss of Citizens Information Board face-to-face services, and this in turn has a negative impact on the public realm. What does the Taoiseach propose to do about this?

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I raise the Cork city task force. As we know, the programme for Government provides for the establishment of a task force for Cork city. Like all urban areas, Cork city needs renewed focus, funding, resources, collaboration between key stakeholders, and short-, medium- and long-term planning. I hope the task force will address issues around public realm, streetscape, urban design and investment in our urban design in Cork city. Safety on the streets of Cork city is a significant issue. This not only relates to Garda numbers, but also to how the city is designed and laid out. That is critical when it comes to safety issues, as are connectivity, transportation links to the city, vacancy, dereliction and so on. Can we get an update on the establishment of the Cork city task force? It is important. Cork City Council will play a critical role in this as it moves forward and I hope we can get a clear, concrete indication today about the establishment of the task force, which is in the programme for Government.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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The Dublin city task force and Dublin City Council recommended that a single waste management company should provide bin collection services, with a further recommendation that, in the long term, waste services should be taken under the control of Dublin City Council. This is positive and will be welcomed by householders across Dublin. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment and Climate Action made a similar recommendation. The wholesale privatisation of bin services in 2012, which was opposed every step of the way by Sinn Féin, has been a complete and utter disaster for Dublin. It has led to a wild west situation, where up to a dozen bin companies charge ever-increasing prices for a service that is not fit for purpose. Waste management companies are operating like a cartel. Will the Government's task force on Dublin tackle the privatisation of waste management and bring it back to public ownership?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Back in February, Deputy McGrath and I raised the issue of the city task force with the Taoiseach, who confirmed that proposals were being developed and, once finalised, would be submitted to the Government for consideration. As yet, no formal announcement has been made regarding the establishment of a task force in Cork city. We are well into the term of this Government at this stage. I listened to Mr. Sean O'Driscoll this morning on my way up to Dublin. He spoke about many things the Taoiseach and I have spoken about here over the years, including getting rid of roadblocks, cutting through the malaise of planning and getting things delivered. I have concerns about what I am hearing about the task force, including its composition. I have spoken previously about the lack of political representation that is proposed to be on it. Nonetheless, can we just get on with the job of establishing the task force? If the Taoiseach can provide any clarity on that, we would appreciate it.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It has now been 239 days since the recommendations of the Dublin city task force were published and 145 days since the programme for Government, which included a commitment to these recommendations, was agreed. The recommendations are aimed at rejuvenating Dublin city centre, focusing on the public realm, safety and overall experience. Such is the lack of tangible progress in initiatives such as revitalising O'Connell Street, increasing residential density and improving public safety that the task force's ten big moves are beginning to look like ten wasted opportunities or, more shamefully, ten election promises that have been quickly forgotten. Without dedicated funding and a clear roadmap for delivery, the task force's recommendations will remain another shelved document rather than a catalyst for real change.

The workers and students of Parnell Square and the residents and business owners of Frederick Street North want to know when the Government will announce ring-fenced budgets for the task force recommendations, when the inner city communities will begin to feel the revitalisation the task force aims to achieve and when there will be a decisive shift from recommendations to robust action.

Across the State we need to see community safety partnerships up and running with the right model, membership and resourcing. Time is of the essence.

Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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I also wanted to raise this matter. I welcome that the task force is there and has been proposed. There is some concern at city council level about the task force's level of funding to achieve the goals it sets for itself, which are welcome, including the creation of an attractive, safe streetscape and a desirable location to live, work and do business in and visit. Many of my constituents on the northside of Dublin have voiced the view to me that they are afraid to come in to the city. Some of the work done by the Minister in providing more gardaí for the city centre at Store Street and Pearse Street is welcome, including by the public in general, but there is a sense that some of the problems have been displaced to the suburbs as a result and some of the areas now under construction and those that have been constructed in the past 15 or 20 years, certainly on the northside in my experience, are going down the road of suffering from the same problems as the north inner city. We will have to look at that in a bigger, more holistic way.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I know that, as a Cork man, the Taoiseach will join me in saying how great Dublin city is, but as great as it is, we certainly have challenges, especially in the city centre. The task force report was an important way of identifying those challenges.

The challenge now will be delivering them. Within the Dublin City Council structure, there certainly seems to be the appetite to establish a dedicated vehicle to deal with the issues relating to derelict sites and also to fund improvements and additional services, for example, the business improvement district scheme which applies an additional levy on ratepayers in the city, something that Fianna Fáil introduced at the time. I am not opposed to a tourism levy and introducing legislation would allow the local authorities to decide whether they want to apply one. At this point we need certainty on funding for the task force. Whether that comes from central government or whether we are going to enable local government to raise the funding, one way or the other, funding is the crucial step needed to deliver the task force.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Regarding the task force, I welcome what Deputies McAuliffe and Brabazon said about north Dublin. What steps are being taken to make development of residential space above shops in Dublin's inner city easier? There are major issues with licences for fire safety.

Is there any update on the proposed late-night licensing reforms and the Give Us The Night campaign? Young people in Ireland feel they are not welcome in Dublin city as we saw recently with Drury Street being closed off. If we want the city to be revitalised, the young people of Dublin need to be encouraged to come in. If the late licences go to 6 a.m., we will still have one of the earliest in Europe, but it would encourage people in.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Did the Deputy say 6 a.m.?

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Yes, 6 a.m. We should bring it up. In Berlin it is 24-7.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Heneghan is full of energy.

I thank all the Deputies for raising various issues. Deputies McGrath and O'Sullivan asked about the Cork city task force. The docklands have been the main development focus in Cork city for some time. Under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, some years ago €400 million was allocated to Cork for the docklands and the Grand Parade new library. Considerable progress has been made in the docklands, but not so much on the city library. I met representatives of Cork City Council recently to discuss these issues. Cork City Council is anxious about the city centre. Along with the Land Development Agency, LDA, and others, it is delivering on the docklands which is becoming an engine of real power and growth in the city of Cork. I believe it is coming forward with further proposals on the Grand Parade and on the library, which will be transformative. We always need to be conscious that the existing agencies will be crucial - Dublin City Council, Cork City Council and Cork County Council. Regarding Cork city, a lot of money will be channelled through the National Transport Authority, for example, the BusConnects proposal. The route for the light rail has been published. The N28 has been sanctioned. That will potentially come to about €490 million with all the knock-ons and so on. There will also be other infrastructure development.

The task force will come back with proposals for the city. It needs to look at how we reimagine cities of the future. We tend to look at it through the prism of the past and what cities used to be like, whereas we need to look at what they will be like or what we think they will be like in the future. We need a different mix with stronger residential focus in city centres in the future with less of the big anchor retail tenant type. There might be more niche quality hospitality and retail. I would a new task force for the city of Cork to try to reimagine the city centre, the core of the city, for the future as opposed to trying to do everything across the entirety of the city. We will come back with proposals on that.

We have been working on the Dublin city task force and the idea is to bring to the Government a memorandum that has substance. Everyone has raised the issue of funding.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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The hotel bed tax.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Bacik raised that; I apologise. I am not opposed to that because I like the concept whereby we acknowledge funding is required and propose a mechanism. It will not fund everything. We will not be awash money.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I think it will be €12 million.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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A very minimalist levy could yield ongoing revenue that would be of significant use for Dublin City Council to get things done. That is an important principle because increasing numbers are coming in, impacting on services and so on.

I think David McRedmond has done a good job overall at An Post. He has modernised it and he has-----

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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The closure of services.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is not his remit. There have been issues with people retiring and so on. It has not been an easy one. Government has had to intervene and step in with €10 million to support postmasters and will continue to intervene to support postmasters. I want to put on record that I think overall and in difficult circumstances he has done a good job.

Deputy Ó Murchú asked about the public realm. They are not ten wasted opportunities.

Deputy McAuliffe made a proposal around a special purpose vehicle. We are actively looking at that in terms of the presentation of the memo. Temple Bar and other initiatives that have had an impact involved legally created special purpose vehicles that had authority to get things done and did actually deliver a lot in their day. We are examining that in respect of the outcome of the Dublin task force.

The public realm needs enhancement and Deputy Brabazon focused on that as well in terms of a safe streetscape. It is worrying that in the modern era, an increasing number of people are expressing fear of going into city centres, not just in Dublin but also elsewhere. The Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, told me there was a significant group of European officials in last week and they thought Dublin city was great. I agree with Deputy McAuliffe that Dublin is a great city, but a lot of stuff is happening that gives people a sense of fear of going into the city centre at night.

Regarding the issue Deputy Heneghan raised, I think the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is progressing that. I will check with him. There has been a seesaw approach to late night openings. Licensing laws are notoriously difficult. We need to consider all the patterns of behaviour that have changed.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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They boost the economy.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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People are doing different things and are behaving differently. That said, I will come back to the Deputy with where that legislation is at.