Group blasts Government’s new Rural Plan as ‘anti-Dublin’

A group representing businesses in Dublin city centre has branded the Government’s new plan for the development of rural Ireland as ‘ill-considered and unworkable.’

DublinTown say they believe that the proposals outlined yesterday don’t take into account how people wish to live and work, now and into the future and fail to recognise why people have migrated to cities and why the pace of this migration had accelerated in recent years.

DublinTown CEO Richard Guiney said the group have developed proposals aimed at ‘re-balancing’ Ireland’s population.

“It now appears that the Government’s previous plan ‘Ireland 2040’ has been shredded,” he said.

“This is particularly bad news for regional cities and strategically placed towns.

“There is no structure to the current proposals or targeted investment to achieve economic and environmental sustainability.

“The proposals are a hotch-potch of ill-considered, non-integrated ideas banded together to produce a plan guaranteed to fail.”

DublinTown also discussed issues such as the challenges in recruiting and training new staff virtually.

It also claims that office based workers are most likely to be promoted, leading the more ambitious personnel to stay close to the decision making process.

The organisation also claims people are increasingly seeking out leisure, entertainment, arts and cultural opportunities, most often found in cities.

“Internationally larger urban centres have borne the brunt of virus containment measures,” the group said in a statement.

“Dublin has suffered disproportionately in Ireland.

“It is therefore, very disappointing to see a clear anti-Dublin bias extolled by Government at this time.

“It must be seen that while cities have suffered, they are best placed to rebound and regenerate economic activity and employment.

“It will soon be seen as short sighted to forgo these opportunities.

“Dublin has been Ireland’s engine of growth and opportunity; it can be again.”