1,000 more gardaí are needed in Dublin city centre, an organisation representing business owners in the area has said.
Publishing its election wish list, Dublin Town also called for the revitalisation of the area around O’Connell Street.
“If the current reality of Dublin city centre is hidden and the necessary interventions not made, it will continue on a spiral of decline,” said Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney.
“That would have massive implications for the Irish economy and Ireland’s position on the international stage,” he added.
With the first anniversary of the Dublin riots approaching, Dublin Town wants a full and immediate implementation of the recommendations of the Taoiseach’s task force report on the future of the city centre.
It has called for an implementation group, with an independent chair, to be established to ensure that the taskforce’s recommendations are realised.
Mr Guiney added that the experience of those using the city centre has deteriorated and people do not feel safe.
“Dublin city centre is at a pivotal moment. Footfall is trending downwards. The public believes the city experience is deteriorating. They do not feel safe and they want that to change,” he said.
“Dublin Town believes these negative trends can be systematically reversed, strengthening business and visitor confidence in the city centre, and increasing engagement. But this can only be done if all key stakeholders work together to implement change and address underlying concerns,” he added.
The organisation is also seeking greater autonomy to be placed in the hands of elected representatives who will have revenue raising authority.
It wants increased interventions such as exclusion orders and curfews to help ensure that young people who get into trouble are not drawn into greater criminality.
It is also seeking the greater use of safety wardens in public pedestrianised zones.
Dublin Town is also advocating for the reversal of supports which encourage employees to work from home, in order to increase footfall in the city.
The group is also asking for improvements to the city’s water infrastructure, the Dublin Airport passenger cap issue to be resolved and an urgent upgrade of public transport systems.
