Gannon doubts government commitment to city centre improvements

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has said that the government’s plans to revitalise Dublin City Centre are a step in the right direction, but the changes can’t just be incremental, small ones.

The Dublin Central TD said, “it’s past time the government took action on reversing the deterioration of Dublin’s city centre.”

At Cabinet on Tuesday, plans were announced by the government to turn the GPO on O’Connell Street into a mixed-use building, and do up the general area around O’Connell Street.

Gannon said “we have been here before – too many announcements, too many promises, and, in the end, too little delivered.”

“For years, this government has watched Dublin’s city centre decay – they have treated Talbot Street, O’Connell Street and surrounding areas as an afterthought.”

The Soc Dems TD remarked, “this new proposal must not be another headline-grabbing announcement that goes nowhere – Dubliners deserve better than to be led up the garden path yet again.”

“Has funding been ringfenced for this project? If so, how much has been set aside? The government must be forthright with these details before any progress is made.

With O’Connell Street running through Gannon’s own consituency of Dublin Central, the Northside TD said “we can’t have another project announced with great fanfare only to get bogged down in delays, planning setbacks or a lack of political will.”

“We need accountability, urgency, and a concrete timeline for delivery.”

“I have long called for a comprehensive, properly resourced plan for the revitalisation of the city. The GPO can be a pivotal piece of that – if the government is serious about making it happen.”

“We should all watch closely to ensure that this is the catalyst for long-overdue change in Dublin, and not another missed opportunity.”