Michael Moynihan: 10 lessons from Dublin's city taskforce Cork can't afford to ignore

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

Glad to see people taking notice.
I posed a question here in the Leaving Cert for Cork Studies which mentioned a pretty obscure pub at the bottom of Shandon Street which enjoyed a heyday about 40 years past.
Last week Catherine Shanahan wrote about redevelopment in the area, and lo: 'Permission was granted to brothers Séamus and Pádraig Kelleher who were also cleared for the redevelopment of a building on lower Shandon Street where they intend to re-open the infamous Left Bank pub.' (Infamous, Catherine? I beg to differ.)
Going back further I pointed out that the Pride colours had faded badly on St Patrick's Street, and was gratified to see that brightened, repainted, tidied afterwards. You take your wins where you can.
I can also go back further, when I mentioned something else of note - the Dublin City Taskforce, which was established by the government in May 2024. As noted then, its job was 'to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin City Centre' and it duly 'produced a full report less than six months later with 10 major recommendations to improve the capital.'
Simon Harris: 'I initiated this task force model when I was Taoiseach, and the idea was that it's very easy in large cities for everybody to pass the buck and say 'that's a matter for the city council, that's a matter for the guards, that's a matter for the HSE', [whereas] it's actually a matter for us all to pull together.' File photo: Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews.ie
This led to the obvious question: what about Cork? Now it appears that that question has been heard in high places.
Eoin English reported last Saturday that Tánaiste Simon Harris insists work is ongoing to establish the city taskforce his party promised within the first 100 days of government. For Cork, that is.
'We have seen the difference it can make in Dublin this week,' said Mr Harris. 'We've now done it in Dublin. It needs to happen in Cork.' That 100 days has passed, of course, but let's not get bogged down.
He went on to say: 'I initiated this task force model when I was Taoiseach, and the idea was that it's very easy in large cities for everybody to pass the buck and say 'that's a matter for the city council, that's a matter for the guards, that's a matter for the HSE', [whereas] it's actually a matter for us all to pull together.'
Cork City Council chief executive Valerie O'Sullivan spoke to the Business Post last month about the City Centre Community Safety Warden scheme. 'This scheme builds on the council's established relationships with businesses, residents, social services and An Garda Síochána and has as an objective ensuring the public realm is welcoming and safe for all citizens.'
Relationships. Passing the buck. You say tomato. Anyway, those 10 recommendations from that Dublin taskforce.
Is there anything in those for us to learn?
1. Revitalise O'Connell Street and environs
A good call until there was some mention recently of using the GPO as a mixed-use building, including retail, which has attracted some fire.
The Cork equivalent? St Patrick's Street certainly needs some help. As pointed out here very recently there are several large buildings in Cork's main drag that could be repurposed for the general betterment of the city.
2. Prioritise the total regeneration of social housing complexes in the city centre
This would certainly help in Cork until you sit down and list off the city centre locations which need some generation, never mind regeneration.
From the old Roche's Stores building to the Queen's Old Castle there are plenty of opportunities in the middle of Cork which await... prioritisation.
3. Convert derelict sites into high-density residential areas with provision for essential workers
Hm. Derelict sites, you say?
I refer readers to Frank O'Connor and Jude Sherry, whose indefatigable tracking and tracing of such sites have been a huge boon in Cork, though it's obviously unfortunate that that work is necessary.
Putting this as delicately as I can, there is no shortage of such sites awaiting transformation for essential workers.
4. Make policing and security more visible
The Dublin report recommends adding 1,000 gardaí to the Dublin city centre area. Which would be great for Dublin city centre but not so great for Leeside, where the lack of officers is an embarrassment.
Last month it was reported that 120 gardaí graduated from the Garda Training College in Templemore - 74 of those went to Dublin, and only three landed on in Cork City.
We did have a Garda van parked around the Grand Parade for a few weeks, though.
5. Deliver more targeted and better located services for vulnerable populations in the city centre
Again, this is a good idea. However, in Cork we await the evaluation of the dedicated injection centre in Dublin before one in Cork can be considered.
Not an encouraging template.
6. Implement a dedicated waste management plan for the city centre
Is that needed in Cork? Streets not maintained, derelict properties, vape shops, temporary metal fencing, unchecked graffiti, unrepaired bridges unoccupied spaces, unbuilt facilities.
Yes, very much so.
7. Operate the City Centre Transport Plan with agility
I'll say nothing for reasons of space and teeth-gritting frustration.
8. Offer Dubliners compelling reasons to visit the city
Like this? Good public transport, well-managed traffic, cheap parking, cycling lanes, safe streets, less antisocial behaviour.
All badly needed in Cork.
9. Create a marketing and communications function for Dublin
Is this needed in Dublin? Really? The absorption of media, marketing, tourism, and communications functions in the capital makes this unnecessary, as does the de facto assumption that every visitor passes through Dublin anyway.
These functions should be delivered for Cork and other cities.
10. Evolve appropriate governance for a capital city
This is even more unnecessary than no. 9. As pointed out here in the past, all the apparatus of the State is available to those living in the capital.
Every government department and State body is present in Dublin and the expertise of those organisations is available on an official and unofficial basis.
Not so in Cork. Appropriate governance needed.
A last point on these taskforces. They don't always work out.
Before a few heads get pulled in for coffee and biscuits in some nice office overlooking the South Channel of the Lee, I should point to the time former Dublin football boss Jim Gavin was appointed chair of the North East Inner City (NEIC) Implementation Board.
That was 2023, when Gavin took over from Michael Stone; he stood down when Paschal Donohoe, then minister for public expenditure, failed to declare expenses related to postering work financed by Mr Stone during the 2020 general election.
Might be worth bearing this in mind, even though I don't have room here to get into the appointment process itself. Will it resemble the one used for our mysterious event centre project development board (remember them)?
Will the proposed Cork City Taskforce board resemble the one used for our mysterious event centre project development? File picture: Larry Cummins
In reality the column above should save a good few bob on travelling expenses, refreshments, office hire and the like. Any Cork taskforce is likely to come to many of the same conclusions.
All of which leaves me with the happy question posed by anyone proffering advice to government.
Where do I send the bill?
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