Directly elected Mayor for Dublin also required to take the lead on managing city and tackling crime and deprivation

The Green Party has called on the Taoiseach to appoint a Minister with responsibility for the City of Dublin. It has accused the new Government on prioritising the policing needs of rural communities ahead of the capital City.

Councillor Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party Councillor for Dublin’s North Inner City stated today:

“There is no Minister with responsibility for Dublin. Our Minister for Urban Renewal is only a Minister of State whose constituency’s largest town of Navan has a population of under 30,000. I represent Dublin’s North Inner City which has a population of 67,000, just over twice that of Navan. In the last 105 days four people have suffered violent deaths within one square mile. Communities are living in fear and require a response that goes beyond addressing their immediate policing needs.

“Urgent Government action is required to address the serious anti-community violence and drug crime that is afflicting local communities in Dublin City. We also must address the causes of gang violence that include the entrenched and intergenerational poverty, inequality and social exclusion in parts of Dublin. In these areas of multiple deprivation there are deep-seated housing, health, education, policing and environmental needs. A co-ordinated approach is needed to address this. We must break the cycle of violence, addiction and drug dealing that is so damaging to the community.

“An immediate response is required from Government to give a Dublin Minister responsibility for the city’s needs. In the longer term a directly elected Mayor is required as is common in other cities. That Mayor should have responsibilities to coordinate and manage the needs of our Capital City as is the place in other countries. Our current ‘revolving-door’ system of year-long mayors is not helping us in providing a political response to generations of neglect that in some instances go back to the foundation of the State. Dublin’s needs are being neglected in the Government’s rush towards parochial politics.”