Statement from Lord Mayor on Dublin City Centre Taskforce

The Dublin City Centre Taskforce has taken a major step forward, but funding must be provided to ensure the recommendations are implemented, the Lord Mayor of Dublin has said.

Cllr Ray McAdam said that while steps taken at the Dublin City Council meeting this week are welcome, a clear plan of when works will be completed, and a guarantee of funding must come into place. 

“This week Dublin City Council was presented with a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to get these plans into action. New structures are needed to get the recommendations in place so the SPV can get to work. 

The Dublin City Taskforce was set up to develop a plan to make Dublin a more vibrant, safe and appealing city. Implementation is now well under way with the establishment of the SPV to co-ordinate action on vacancy and dereliction, public transport services, waste management, major redevelopment projects like the GPO and public safety.

Recommendations were made by the taskforce a year ago and it’s vital that we see tangible results right across the city centre soon. 

We need to see the 10 big moves including repurposing vacant buildings in the inner city for homes and developing revitalisation plans for O’Connell Street and Moore Street. 

Housing is a major priority, and the taskforce will be working on regeneration of inner-city properties and the conversion of vacant upper floors to mixed tenure residential units. We need to increase the supply of homes and ensure they are more affordable to buy and rent.

Across the city we need to come together to get the plan rolled out. We need to see firm commitment from Government for an independent funding stream. 

The Dublin City Taskforce will rejuvenate the city centre for all who live, work and socialise there. We must ensure a budget is put in place and the recommendations are completed in full as soon as possible,” concluded the Lord Mayor.