O’Connell Street must never again be closed down by lengthy protests says Dublin Town CEO

Steps must be taken to avoid a repeat of the disruption to Dublin city business, workers, emergency and medical services and tourism during the fuel demonstrations, according to business group Dublin Town.

Large-scale, future lengthy protests in the capital  should take place at a designated site away from O’Connell Street, the representative body insisted.

Following the end of fuel protests which ‘paralysed’ parts of the city centre, Dublin Town CEO, Richard Guiney, said demonstrations of a similar nature should be confined to an area which does not paralyse a large swathe of the city and where they could be better managed.

Dublin Town represents over 2,500 businesses in the City centre and works to improve the city’s commercial environment, promote it as a shopping and leisure destination, and runs initiatives to attract visitors.

Mr Guiney said while the organisation whole-heartedly accepts the right to peaceful protest, particularly in the capital city, what had transpired during the fuel protests on O’Connell Street, its premier artery, had been utterly unacceptable.

“While totally accepting the need and right to protest in the capital city, disrupting public transport and bringing its major throughfare to a halt for a protracted period of time is simply wrong.

“Business was impacted, public transport was disrupted and hospital appointments were missed.  In other parts of the county, protesters minimised such disruption, but not in Dublin.

“Recent changes to traffic routes ensured that the closure of O’Connell Street effectively paralysed College Green, Henry Street, Middle Abbey Street and a huge area of the City centre.

“Three quarters of its customer base uses public transport to access the City centre, and O’Connell street feeds people to all kinds of businesses and public facilities.

Guiney said, “the protest led to a decline in footfall in the city centre during the Easter school holidays as well as disrupting medical schedules in nearby hospitals and severely discommoding many commuters, shoppers and tourists.”

“O’Connell Street must not again be closed off in this fashion,” he stated.