Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask that the Minister, Deputy Murphy, attend to explain his position on directly elected mayors for urban areas. Last month in the Dáil, he said there would not be a mayor in situfor Dublin for the 2019 local elections. There is a real urgent question of who speaks for Dublin because Dublin generates €85 billion of our GDP. It has 1.3 million citizens yet the funding for the city is less and less every year. What we need now is a strong vocal voice for Dublin to ensure the investment takes place for the 1.3 million citizens. Dublin has one of the highest property tax rates in the country. I have no problem with the redistribution of some of that property tax to country areas where there is not the tax base. There is now a real need for that investment. Our footpaths are decaying and our public roads are in a dreadful condition. One probably cannot drive from here to Ballsbridge without destroying one's tyres on the main road. One cannot get comfortably from Swords to Dublin. There is no rail link. One cannot travel from Tallaght to Swords without coming through the city centre. The urban centres are not connected. There is a need for a plan for our city.

If we want to give quality of life to the 1.3 million citizens, the basic need for a major city is investment and its long-term sustainability. That is just not happening. There is a vested interest by the Government in a lack of planned investment in our capital city. It has been quite noticeable in the past two years. I would like the Minister, Deputy Murphy, to come in at the earliest possible time to debate the issue mainly for our urban areas. There has been a lack of concentration on maintaining the sustainability of our urban areas. At the earliest time, I would like to see the Minister, Deputy Murphy, address the House on the matter.