Sir, – We would like to endorse the serious concerns about the current state of our capital expressed by leading retailers, cultural bodies and business organisations in Kevin O’Sullivan’s excellent article “Dublin’s post-Covid plans: ‘There is no vision and no strategy . . . our citizens are losing out’” (Environment, August 22nd).
As a group of residents in Dublin’s city core, we have been raising the same issues for the last couple of years, with a similar lack of response from either local or national government. Politicians, officials and gardaí have full knowledge of these problems, but no substantive actions are ever proposed. Shamefully, it took the serious and unprovoked assault on an American tourist to force the start of this necessary conversation. However, that assault and many others could have been avoided if the pleas of residents and businesses in the city had been listened to sooner.
The article offered an important analysis of Dublin’s problems regarding anti-social behaviour and thuggery, and the lack of visible street policing at the level we see in other EU capitals, but also on the chronic littering and poor quality public-realm interventions, which drag the city down. All this neglect threatens tourism and investment and our ability to sustain and build residential communities in the city.
Multiple organisations quoted mention the lack of leadership, vision or accountability in Dublin governance which is why we need a powerful executive directly elected mayor as soon as possible. We would argue the plebiscite on this role should happen this November to allow a first mayor to be elected next June. And the full range of powers proposed by the Citizens’ Assembly need to be transferred to the office. The capital can’t wait another five or 10 years to move away from the current failed model of governance.
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In Ireland we spend a large amount of time listening to and addressing the local grievances of populist politicians around the country. However, it’s time that everyone was put on notice that the Dublin golden goose that subsidises other parts of the country needs urgent tending to or all will be less well off.
Given the huge proportion of the national tax take that comes from Dublin city we can surely justify doing a lot better at making our capital a safe and pleasant place to live, visit, socialise and work in.
Dublin is a great city with great intrinsic strengths, a mild temperate climate, a deep history, a rich past and current cultural life, wonderful historic architecture, a compact walkable core, and a spectacular location nestled between bay and mountains. It hosts a friendly, outward-looking citizenry who people from across the world love visiting or moving here to interact with. There is much to be proud of.
It’s time the nation once again took some pride in its capital and put attention and resources into addressing its current neglect. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN BYRNE,
Chair,
South Georgian
Core Residents Association,
Dublin 2.