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Irish Examiner
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Michael Moynihan: 10 lessons from Dublin's city taskforce Cork can't afford to ignore
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/ 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? Read More Cork City's derelict buildings reveal true cost of housing inequality
Irish Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
What's stopping us converting Dublin's O'Connell St into a residential neighbourhood?
It's not bad people who destroy cities, it's bad incentives. Bear this economic rule in mind when digesting the State's welcome initiative to save Dublin city , which was unveiled this week. 'Saving the city' might sound dramatic, but without significant remedial action, Dublin as an attractive, lived-in and innovative capital is over. We know that parts of the city are falling down, blighted by dereliction, vacancy and a general feeling of decay. The capital city of one of the richest countries in the world looks so dilapidated because it is not profitable to build homes there. If we change the incentive structure to make it profitable, improvements will follow. Great cities die without care – as many Americans know. Cities are built from the bottom up, not top-down. Unless citizens are given an opportunity to participate in regeneration, big government initiatives will fail when initial investment is not supported by ongoing incremental spending. From now on, it must be cheaper and more profitable to build, renovate and restore in the city than anywhere else in the country. This means using the tax system to create incentives in specific areas and even specific streets. Once the incentive – and this means the price – is right, builders will respond and invest enthusiastically. The Dublin City Taskforce has unveiled a blueprint to rejuvenate the capital's centre , calling for €750 million to €1 billion in new investment and identifying 'Ten Big Moves' to restore safety, vibrancy and liveability in the capital. While these proposals are all urgently needed, the real prize is to get investment money flowing into the capital on a daily basis. READ MORE The source of this investment should be the €150 billion of ordinary Irish people's savings that is sitting on deposit in the banking system, doing nothing. In the same way as living creatures require a constant flow of blood pumped by the heart, cities need a constant flow of money, incentivised by constant profitable opportunity. The domestic banking system could be the source of this investment. [ Dublin is fifth most expensive capital in Europe for living costs Opens in new window ] The traditional role of the banking system is to recycle savings of those who don't want to spend and make that money available to those who want to invest. Unfortunately, the Irish banking system acts more like a safe-deposit box in which savings are parked and not used profitably in the economy, despite the average of only 0.13 per cent interest earned. A special savings vehicle targeted at refurbishing old buildings with a tax break would liberate 10s of millions of euro into the centre of the city. Any successful redevelopment of Dublin city must incorporate a tax scheme to coax that money out of the deposits and into private residential building. The best example of reinforcing tax programmes were the urban renewal efforts of the 1990s, where huge swathes of derelict Dublin were rebuilt, and thousands of apartments were constructed in the city. It was tax-efficient to buy and live in these properties, which benefited from generous tax breaks for mortgage-holders, which made it a no-brainer to live in the city as opposed to the suburbs. Temple Bar was a good if uneven example of the success of such directed tax schemes. The new plan for the city, which proposes a special purpose vehicle – a fancy term for an independent State body – looks to be based on a similar tax structure, which is promising. Overall, this Government initiative is positive, but to make it work effectively and to tie it in with an ongoing financing requirement from the private sector, there must be a little more financial and fiscal creativity. As well as encouraging people to move into the city, it is essential to dissuade owners from hoarding or allowing buildings to become derelict Once it makes financial sense to live in the city, people will do so. People – not police – make a city safe. People police their own streets. Empty streets are dangerous streets, lively streets are safe streets, and the more people who live in an area, the more they look after their own patch. This is called having a stake in the place, and residents have a greater stake than passersby. Of course we need more gardaí on the streets, but the real game-changer is locals turning a street into a neighbourhood. For example, there are officially no residents on O'Connell Street, not one. Yet over the shops is ample space for living. What is stopping builders from converting O'Connell Street into a residential street? Incentives again. Make it tax-efficient to refurbish and tax-efficient to buy these flats, and people will come. [ Ruby Eastwood: Why would anyone choose to live in a city as ridiculous as Dublin? Opens in new window ] I've personal experience. In the early 1990s, on an average salary (IR£16,000 a year), I bought a flat on Parliament Street, in a building that was the first residential owner-occupier initiative on that street in more than 100 years. The small first-time developer was incentivised by tax breaks to buy the derelict building, and that made the refurbishment feasible. He built three flats above the ground-floor shop front. We were the only residents on Parliament Street, which was otherwise bleak and dilapidated. There were no shops or restaurants, and the roofs of many of these beautiful buildings were falling in. Lots of people thought it was mad to buy in the city, but it was much cheaper than renting in the suburbs. As a young owner, my monthly mortgage was dramatically reduced by a significant tax break. In the following few years we were followed by many more residents, and the same incentives allowed young people to buy and encouraged many young developers to take a risk and imagine a residential future over the shop for old, unloved buildings. It worked, and today Parliament Street, soon to be pedestrianised , is a wonderful place to live. Why not copy and paste this model in hundreds of city streets? As well as encouraging people to move into the city, it is essential to dissuade owners from hoarding or allowing buildings to become derelict. Again, incentives pave the way. Dereliction and vacant sites are the results of choices made by owners. It is time to put a draconian price on those choices. Urban policy should penalise bad behaviour such as presiding over dereliction, and reward good behaviour such as refurbishing old buildings. It's not that difficult, is it? We should start with vacant buildings. Recent figures from An Post's data company GeoDirectory estimate that 14,500 residential and commercial properties lie vacant across Dublin – 4,000 of which are in the city centre. There has been a marked deterioration since last year, and things are getting worse. The majority (63 per cent) of these properties have been unoccupied for one to two years, with a minority of about 23 per cent idle for more than four years. Between the canals, there are 4,082 vacant buildings. Half of them are commercial, roughly a third residential and the remainder mixed-use. The greatest concentration is in Dublin 2, home to 41 per cent of these vacant buildings, the vast majority (75 per cent) of which are commercial. D1's Victorian commercial districts (Parnell, Talbot, Capel and Dorset streets) account for more than half (610) of the vacant flats above commercial units. This column has suggested an amnesty for people who might own these properties but don't have the money or the legal clearance to refurbish them. The State could force them to sell by offering them a chance to avoid hefty penalties if they sell within a year. If not, tax them at source on other income and put the property on the market. The resulting glut of properties would force prices down, allowing responsible new owners who intend to build to buy at a bargain price. In no time the city would be transformed. We've done it before. Incentives work. Let's do it again.
The Journal
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Taoiseach fails to commit to 6am closing time for nightclubs but promises licensing law reform
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has failed to confirm if the government will sign off on 6am closing time for nightclubs. The Programme for Government commits to enacting legislation to update Ireland's licensing laws and promoting the development of a 'modern and diverse night-time economy in harmony with increased town centre living'. However, at the launch of the Dublin City Taskforce roadmap plan to revamp and revitalise the capital, the Taoiseach would not comment on what time he expects nightclubs and pubs will be allowed close at. The previous government committed to allowing nightclubs to open until 6am and pubs to open until 12.30am, stating that the law would be in place before Christmas 2023, but complications with updating the laws significantly delayed the process . Last year, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was an advocate for the law change, cast doubt over whether reforms to late licensing laws would be introduced in the short term. Further hurdles for the legislation became apparent within the Fine Gael party, when pressure was placed on the new party leader Simon Harris to scrap the idea. Advertisement Senior sources told The Journal earlier this year that despite the bill being drafted and ready to go in the Department of Justice, there is no urgency to progressing the legislation. Asked today about changes to Ireland's licensing laws, the Taoiseach said the nature of nightlife in Ireland is changing, stating 'we do legislatively have to accommodate that change'. Taoiseach says it is complex 'It is very complex. When you begin the process of changing licensing laws. It's not simple. I know that from previous experience in government, but it is something we want to do,' he said. Martin said he wants to ensure people can enjoy a night out properly, without people scrambling around trying to get home. 'So in short, it will be progressed. The minister will come back to us with more detail,' he said. When asked if he the previous promise of a 6am close for nightclubs is on the cards, Martin would said he would not get into specifics. 'Certainly the nighttime economy is an important part and we will work with all the stakeholders,' said Martin, who promise the the legislation will be brought forward. Harris said: 'I think the concerns a number of us had in the last government is we need to tease our way through this.' Any change to Ireland's licensing law must be done in an 'integrated manner', he said. Related Reads Laws allowing nightclubs to stay open later put on the long finger by government Andrea Horan: Dancing 'til dawn is a valid human pursuit - let's stop being afraid of the night 'Delighted' ... 'badly needed' - Positive early reaction to late-night club opening change A city that opens later has to have transport later and has to have police on the streets at that time, said the Tánaiste. The 'whole picture in the round' must be considered, he said, stating that it is not solely about the opening hour of a nightclub. 'It's actually about how do people get home safely after they have left the nightclub, what time do the buses run to, what's the taxi service like? What's the police presence like? So when I know Jim O'Callaghan will weigh all this up,' he said. Give Us The Night, a volunteer group of professionals campaigning for changes in Irish nightlife, has said that allowing later opening times will bring new opportunities for performers. It has previously said Ireland's 89 nightclubs should be permitted to serve until 5am, with dancing allowed up to 6am, stating that would not even be in line with the European average, but would be an improvement. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
No timeline for 'tourism tax' but Taoiseach says it could help fund Dublin city revamp
A TOURISM TAX could help bring in 'significant' funding for a plan to 'revitalise' Dublin city, the Taoiseach said. The Journal reported last week that Micheál Martin is not opposed to the idea, but the Taoiseach went further today at the launch of the Dublin City Taskforce roadmap . He told reporters today that assessments show such a tax could take in between €4-€41 million, but asked when it could be introduced, the Taoiseach said the measure would have to be 'examined in more detail'. Martin said that a tourism tax will be examined to help fund the 'significant' expenditure needed to make the city more enticing. 'It could provide additional revenue raising powers, so that will be examined. Because, let's be honest, there's going to be significant investment here. Advertisement 'There's going to be significant additional expenditure to make the city more attractive. 'It will be examined in more detail. Estimates varies between depending on rate of fee applied, it would range from four million to €41 million.' The Tánaiste added: 'There can be significant benefit in a tourist tax if done in the correct way. 'Many, many European capital cities have it, but of course, you want to get the timing right, you want to, obviously consult,' said Harris. He added it would also be about 'empowering' Dublin City Council to decide whether it needed an additional revenue stream. 'The idea that people who visit our city would make a small contribution, they would go back into the city council coffers to help them deliver some of the projects. 'So fundamentally, I believe, massively in local government, empowering councillors and providing revenue streams, there needs to be a sensitivity around the timing.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Tourism tax could help fund ‘significant' revitalisation of Dublin
The Dublin City Taskforce report, published in October 2024, said the Irish capital has become 'less welcoming' since the financial crash and pandemic and makes recommendations on how to revive it. At a press conference on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Simon Harris and Minister of State Sean Canney confirmed the Government's backing for the Capital City Report of the Dublin City Taskforce. A roadmap for delivery of the Dublin City Taskforce Report was also published on Tuesday. Mr Martin said an oversight board will be established and chaired by his Department to oversee the delivery of the taskforce report through the 'roadmap for delivery'. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the announcement on Tuesday was 'a rehash' of the same announcement that had been made three times already and called for more urgent action. 'The city is in decline, it needs leadership. We thought that this was going to be about (that), it just seems to be a useful press release for you.' At the press conference, Mr Martin said the capital 'does undoubtedly have a lot to offer' and is viewed positively by some people. But Mr Martin acknowledged there have been 'increased concerns about safety, cleanliness, reduced footfall and changing attitudes to shopping and socialising'. He said the redevelopment of the GPO as 'a world-class and historic flagship project' – with a 'significant' cultural element, supported by retail and office parts – was among the recommendations to revitalise Dublin. He said the pledge in the plan to increase the number of gardai in the city centre by 1,000 had already begun. Mr Harris said the plan would reduce vacancy and dereliction and improve public spaces and attract people back into the city. 'I'm pleased also to see that the roadmap seeks to move ahead with landmark projects such as the fruit and vegetable market, Parnell Square cultural quarter (and) the regeneration of housing precincts.' Mr Martin said that a tourism tax will be examined to help fund the 'significant' expenditure needed to make the city more enticing. 'It could provide additional revenue raising powers, so that will be examined. Because, let's be honest, there's going to be significant investment here. 'There's going to be significant additional expenditure to make the city more attractive. 'It will be examined in more detail. Estimates varies between depending on rate of fee applied, it would range from four million to 41 million.' The Tanaiste added: 'There can be significant benefit in a tourist tax if done in the correct way. 'Many, many European capital cities have it, but of course, you want to get the timing right, you want to, obviously consult. 'You want to do the work the Taoiseach has outlined.' He said it would also be about 'empowering' Dublin City Council to decide whether it needed an additional revenue stream. 'The idea that people who visit our city would make a small contribution, they would go back into the city council coffers to help them deliver some of the projects. 'So fundamentally, I believe, massively in local government, empowering councillors and providing revenue streams, there needs to be a sensitivity around the timing.' The report of the Dublin City Taskforce said there are a number of funding mechanisms that could be leveraged to support implementation of its revitalisation plan. 'These include state level supports through funds like the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), European level supports through the European Investment Bank (EIB), public/private partnerships and the introduction or enforcement of levies such as a tourist tax, congestion charges, increased vacant property levies or a lifting of the derogation for rates on State buildings. 'Any decision on fundraising is a matter for government and is outside the remit of the taskforce.'
