Double blow for local community

LAST week’s announcement that Dublin City Council is to close the motor tax office in Ballymun has been met with dismay from local councillors.

The news came just days after the closure of The Towers pub in Ballymun Shopping Centre, which the council plans to vacate by the end of the year.

The centre is earmarked for demolition causing uncertainty for a number of local groups including mental illness day centre Tús Nua, Ballymun Community Training Centre and the women’s resource centre.

“We are at the end of a regeneration period, yet we are losing vital social and economic services from Ballymun,

? said Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF).

“To date

?¬755 million has been spent on the regeneration with 1,800 replacement homes, 1,300 private homes and a number of community centres.

“There has been no economic regeneration of Ballymun and the motor tax office is vital at bringing business into the area. Tús Nua provides treatment for mental illness patients and is a lifeline for many people.

“I have raised these issues with Dublin City Council and the various stakeholders as residents in Ballymun are very concerned about losing all these services from the area in such a short space of time.

“Regeneration can’t just be about bricks and cement; it has to be about making life better for the residents of the area.

?

Local Fianna Fail councillor Paul McAuliffe believes the combination of the two recent announcements will have a real impact on the economic life of Ballymun.

“While both decisions may have been made for good reasons, the reality is there will now be less people coming into the area to spend money,

? he said.

“While there has been physical regeneration in Ballymun, the economic plan is way behind. The council’s plan seems to lack a coordinated approach to developing a Main Street and I have serious questions about the delivery of the plan.

“It is expected that the current premises used by the motor tax office will be filled by some of the remaining businesses moving out of the shopping centre.

?

Dublin City Council said all its motor tax offices have experienced a significant reduction in business since driver license processing was transferred to the national driver licence service (NDLS) last year.

“Over 75 per cent of Dublin motor tax customers now tax their cars online at www.motortaxonline.ie,

? a spokesperson said.

“Also the option of taking a car off the road retrospectively is no longer possible therefore customers can take their car off the road for an advance period by using the online service.

“The motor tax service has been reviewed and taking account that since 2013 there is a monthly reduction of public callers of approximately 17,500 and a monthly reduction of postal applications of around 8,200 it is not financially sustainable to keep two offices open for the level of service now required by customers.

“Therefore the motor tax office in Ballymun will close effective from December 24. Staff from the Ballymun motor tax office will be reassigned across Dublin City Council to fill vacancies in other service areas.

?

The council confirmed that the Smithfield motor tax office in Dublin 7 will continue to be available for motor tax business.