DublinTown meets with Tánaiste Varadkar and Minister English

Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney, along with other business leaders, met with Táiniste Leo Varadkar, Minister Damian English and Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment officials yesterday to discuss the upcoming budget.

We noted current trading conditions in Dublin city centre and stressed the need to maintain business supports including EWSS, Tax Warehousing and Liquidity supports. We advised against a cliff edge where supports are withdrawn prematurely. We further expressed our concern that vital public transport projects which Dublin needs appear to be delayed within the NDP process. We urged that these be progressed as a priority

We took the opportunity to advocate for a High Street fund, similar to that operating in the UK, which is enabling innovation and the addressing the challenges facing town centre based businesses. We noted the importance of office workers for the city economy and our view that an over-emphasis on remote working will have wider and unintended economic consequences.

We noted the structural challenges facing the city, and given the importance of Dublin city for the national economy proposed the creation of Task Force with a specific remit to regenerate Dublin city centre following the pandemic. This Task Force would address vacancy encouraging appropriate commercial and residential investment and would also address poor perceptions of safety in the city once and for all, addressing the need for additional Garda resources but also the underlying conditions which are adding to public anxiety.

These are matters which we will continue to advocate for on your behalf.