Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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3. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific measures and initiatives his Department intends to implement to support and enhance the business environment in Dublin city centre, including addressing challenges such as high commercial rents, fostering innovation, improving infrastructure, ensuring a regulatory framework that promotes business growth and attracts investment, and tackling issues related to crime that may impact business operations and consumer confidence. [30519/24]

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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Motivated by the overreach of the Department into the affairs of Dublin City Council and the elected members there, I would like to ask the Minister of State about the specific measures and initiatives that the Department intends to implement to support and enhance the business environment in Dublin city centre, including addressing high commercial rents, fostering innovation, improving infrastructure and tackling issues related to crime that may impact business operations and consumer confidence.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is absolutely committed to taking a holistic approach to rejuvenating Dublin city centre. We appointed a task force on 7 May 2024 to help the city centre to thrive as an attractive and safe city. Led by the Department of the Taoiseach, the task force held its first meeting on 21 May and has been asked to deliver its recommendations for consideration by the Government within 12 weeks. The task force is led by an independent chair, Mr. David McRedmond, chief executive officer of An Post, and its work is being supported by Dublin City Council, which is a really important player here.

Dublin City Council has lead responsibility for the promotion of economic development in Dublin city centre, but it works with a range of partners across all levels of government. Of course national policies have an impact on business in our capital city. My Department and its agencies, including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the local enterprise offices, are all committed to fostering innovation, supporting business growth and attracting investment right across the country, including here in our capital city. My Department is acutely aware of the pressures on businesses over recent years with Covid restrictions, the energy crisis and the increased cost of doing business. The Government set up emergency support schemes to get cash to businesses that needed it quickly. These included the temporary business energy support scheme during Covid and, most recently, the increased cost of business, ICOB, scheme. In May, the ICOB scheme was extended for an additional 14 days and a second payment was announced for the retail and hospitality sectors. As of 9 July, there were 8,755 registrations made to Dublin City Council for the ICOB scheme and 85% of businesses that registered with Dublin City Council have now received a payment. These measures were part of a package agreed by the Government to help to reduce costs for SMEs in Dublin and across the country. There were a number of initiatives rolled out in that.

The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and that absolutely includes our capital city. Budget 2024 provided the highest ever allocation to An Garda Síochána, a 25% increase since 2020 to over €2.35 billion. The Deputy has touched on several policy areas which unfortunately are beyond my Department’s remit but I can assure him that there is cross-departmental work happening and that partners across government will continue to support efforts to make Dublin city centre an even more attractive place to do business, live, work and visit.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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The Minister of State touched on a number of issues in a short time. The task force has the potential to be really important. Perceptions of safety in the city, and safety, are fundamental to fostering a positive atmosphere for retail and otherwise. When the task force reports in August, can the Minister of State guarantee that its report will be acted upon and budgeted for in terms of Garda presence, for example? Retailers are crying out for this when I engage with them. On footfall, hybrid work has changed the nature of commercial activity in the city. That began before Covid, I would say, when the M50 motorway was built. To get people back into the city we need to open the markets such as the Iveagh Markets and, on my side of the city, the market falsely known as the Smithfield market just beyond Capel Street. Maybe the Minister of State could engage with Dublin City Council in terms of getting those innovations open. At the top of O'Connell Street, the Ambassador Theatre is the first point of dereliction as you walk into O'Connell Street. Many retailers in O'Connell Street tell me consistently that this starting point of dereliction presents a poor narrative of the city to those walking in.

That is another innovation on which the Minister of State might engage with Dublin City Council.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is right that the initiatives he referred to are all really positive. Investing in the old Ambassador Theatre building and reopening the Iveagh Markets would be really beneficial to Dublin. Those are the kinds of projects the task force is considering. The task force has already met. It has 12 weeks to report to the Government. When we receive the report, we certainly will look at its recommendations. The task force was led by the Department of the Taoiseach. As such, it will be up to the Taoiseach to consider the recommendations and take them on board. However, a whole-of-government approach will be required, including the Department of Justice and my Department from an enterprise and retail perspective.

I fully agree with the Deputy's point regarding footfall in Dublin city centre. I have had a lot of meetings with retailers based in Dublin city centre. Changed working patterns, including people working from home and engaging in hybrid working, have had an impact. We need to ensure Dublin is an even more attractive place to live and work in, and to visit, in order to negate the impact of changed behaviours.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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I completely agree with the Minister of State. I have had some engagement with the task force on changes I would like to see made in the city. It is a cross-departmental body, with involvement by the Departments of Justice and Health as well as the Minister of State's Department. One of the recommendations I expect it to offer is to do with making the city more vibrant. That will require bringing people back in to live in the city. It is a recommendation that must be acted upon.

From the perspective of the Minister of State's Department and what she can do, it is an issue that the city closes down from 5 p.m. onwards. That creates a fairly hostile atmosphere within the city. It is dark and very few shops are open. What can the Department do for people who want a cup of coffee in the city after 7 p.m.? What can it do in terms of engaging with the Minister for culture, for example, on the possibility of keeping museums and parks open past 5 p.m.? All of that will create an environment in which people want to spend time. It will encourage them to spend money in the retail sector. The Minister of State's commentary suggests that is important to her. Such innovations will see Dublin thrive. I hope she will implement them.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister, Deputy Burke, chairs a hospitality and tourism forum that looks at a lot of the issues the Deputy has raised such as access outside working hours to hospitality, including cafés, and the importance of having a vibrant night-time economy. The Minister co-chairs the forum with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. That initiative shows the level of cross-departmental co-operation and collaboration that is required and is happening in this area. We are absolutely committed to continuing that work.

The task force will provide a fantastic opportunity to revisit a lot of these issues and to re-energise and refocus policies and budgets towards them. It will be very positive for Dublin city centre. As I said, the task force has 12 weeks to put together its report. Once we have the report, we will look at the recommendations. The Taoiseach led on this matter and proactively convened the task force. That shows his commitment to, and the Government's support for, rejuvenating Dublin city centre.