An extra 1,000 gardai on Dublin’s streets, more housing in the city centre with provision for essential workers, and plans to rejuvenate O’Connell Street are among a series of recommendations to inject new energy into the capital.
The Dublin City Taskforce published its report on Monday, outlining the issues that have plagued the city centre for years, including empty and neglected buildings, traffic congestion and a lack of significant funding, particularly north of the city.
The taskforce said it aims to increase residential properties in the area, as well as increasing hospitality, cultural and night-time use, cleaning up the streets and making it safe for locals and visitors.
The taskforce, chaired by An Post chief executive David McRedmond, has suggested 10 “Big Moves” to be addressed immediately.
Taoiseach Simon Harris, David McRedmond, independent chair of the Dublin City Taskforce, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman at the General Post Office, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)
These include plans to have an additional 1,000 gardai in the city centre; expansion of private security on public transport and to increase their powers; upgrading CCTV networks; and establishing a city warden programme.
Plans also include enacting legislation to prohibit social media platforms from facilitating the circulation of videos, images or livestreaming of gardai, as well as the establishment of a grant aid system to allow public sector employers to receive additional funding to purchase or lease residential stock.
The plans could cost in the region of 750 million euros to one billion euros, with an additional yearly spend of up to 150 million euros.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said there has been a “diminished” experience for people on the streets of Dublin.
“Our aim should be to make the GPO an anchor building that will bring more people to O’Connell Street at the very centre of our capital city,” he told an audience at the historic building on Monday.
“Dublin city centre has seen many changes throughout its extensive history, constantly evolving, constantly growing, but one thing has never changed. It has always been the beating heart of our overall city.
“As our capital city, Dublin is a place that belongs to us all, even if you happen to live in a different part of the country.
“Inevitably, Dublin and Dublin City will mean different things to different people.
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“It could well be your home. It might be the place that you travel to, or see the soccer or the rugby match. It might be where you go for a concert or a play or a gig.
“From an international perspective, Dublin City is often the first window through which our country is perceived.”
Mr McRedmond said: “The remit was to make recommendations on how to transform the public realm at the cordon of Dublin from Parnell Square to Stephen’s Green.
“But it became really clear immediately that the issues in Dublin 1 are of a different scale to the issues of Dublin 2, and if we can make sure that we do the right job in Dublin 1, these lessons can be applied elsewhere.
“Three objectives we had in the taskforce. Firstly, to have more people living and working daily in the city centre.
“Everybody sees the point of this. It’s people who make people feel safe, it’s people who entertain people.
“The second thing is to have streets which feel safe and clean, and the third is to have a city centre that’s vibrant at all hours of the day and evening to attract visitors.
“There’s a fourth in which we didn’t detail, but that is very important to the taskforce members, and I think in particular, if I think of the gardai, and it’s that we need to regain the narrative of Dublin.
“We need to take the narrative back from bad actors on social media.”