Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Progressive Democrats' motion, with which I fully agree. My local authority experience is with Dublin City Council, formerly Dublin Corporation. The investment that has taken place in recent years has made a great improvement in the council. The changes have been dramatic. I have seen at first hand the good interaction between the employees and the communities throughout the city. This is due to rationalisation of the service and investment in staff, technology and equipment.

Dublin city now has a community-based service. The key to that change was the introduction of regional offices and officers. The current city manager, John Fitzgerald, should be congratulated for initiating that process. It has proved a great success. Previously, there was an impression that Dublin Corporation resided in its ivory tower in the civic offices. Councillors will remember queuing for hours in the housing section. It was almost impossible to get an official to come to the phone, let alone get to meet one.

That has all changed. Every day one can see officials out in the community interacting with residents, not necessarily local authority residents but residents in general. They become involved in local committees, attend residents' meetings and get to know local residents, children, teachers, gardaí and schools. They have a first-hand knowledge of what is happening on the ground, which is a major change. For a long time, it was almost impossible to get access to officials or to get them to attend an on-site meeting. That has changed, partly as a result of investment.

It is my experience that most local authorities have a pool of experienced, highly-skilled professional staff, particularly in the area of strategic planning. Over time they have built up a knowledge of strategic planning, particularly with regard to housing. The difference now is that there is consultation with local people, professionals and other agencies. Throughout the north inner city, the council has delivered first-class modern developments. Two that spring to mind are Smithfield, where the civic space is one of the best in Europe, and O'Connell Street, which is now halfway through the second phase of development, which will stretch as far as the Ambassador cinema. It is a huge investment. The first phase of the O'Connell Street project cost €3.26 million, with a further €390,000 for lighting. Nobody can argue it has not improved O'Connell Street. It is an example of the investment that has taken place.

There are plans for further investment. Public-private partnership arrangements are in place with regard to some of the most deprived areas. For example, O'Devaney Gardens will see a major €200 million public-private partnership investment to replace decrepit 1960s flat complexes with own-door, modern housing, with all necessary facilities, including community facilities. This highlights the strategic planning undertaken by local authorities throughout the country.

Another prime example is Fatima Mansions. For many years, Fatima Mansions was a no-go area but it is changing rapidly due to co-operation between the local authority, private developers and the community. This is being achieved through a process of consultation with the people as to their needs and wants.

Throughout the city, award-winning modern housing developments with top-class facilities where people can live in comfort and security are being built. I particularly commend Dublin City Council on the high quality of its new senior citizens complexes, which were developed through a combination of investment and planning. These complexes replace the bedsit units that existed for many years, which had one room for sleeping, eating and everything else. That is changing. For example, Rowan Hamilton Court in Cabra and Clareville Court in Glasnevin have state-of-the-art facilities, including on-site health services and CCTV. This is a sign of the investment made and residents are taking advantage of the benefits.

Improvements are taking place not only in housing but also with regard to state-of-the-art sports complexes, playgrounds and arts projects. Playgrounds are a great example of joined-up government. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is making investments under the RAPID programme and Dublin City Council is working hand-in-hand with the Department in designing, providing sites for and maintaining playgrounds. Mountjoy Square playground is a prime example. It is a major improvement to what was a no-go area for many people.

The increased resources have resulted in significant improvements but further improvements are required. For example, traffic management is probably the biggest issue in Dublin city at present. Ten to 12 years ago when the Dublin transportation initiative began, which resulted in the establishment of the Dublin Transportation Office, policy decisions were made which led to the exclusion of as much traffic as possible from the city centre. That policy has not worked. We should concentrate on achieving the fastest possible throughput of city traffic. City traffic is blocked as a result of sheer volume and is spreading further and further into the suburbs. No attempt is made to facilitate the passage of cars through the city as quickly as possible, with the result that cars are idling in traffic for long periods, with all the consequences for emissions, safety, stress on drivers and the economy. This issue must be examined.

As the motion states, the investment at local authority level has been significant — there is a 7% increase in investment for this year compared with last year. Particularly in the inner city of Dublin, the investment has made a very significant difference which is visible for all to see.