The Government has approved the creation of a new, independent body that will lead the revitalisation of Dublin City Centre, reports RTE.
Operating under the authority of Dublin City Council, the new body will be tasked with implementing several key recommendations put forward by the Dublin City Taskforce last year.
One of the major plans includes transforming the GPO on O’Connell Street into a major visitor attraction featuring a museum, retail outlets, and office space, reports RTE.
The area around the GPO is also set for redevelopment, along with the refurbishment of inner-city social housing complexes.
Vacant sites will be turned into high-density housing developments, with a focus on providing homes for essential workers, reports RTE.
Plans also include building the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter, which will become home to the new central library.
Additional initiatives involve opening a food market at the old fruit and vegetable market in Smithfield and rejuvenating Moore Street in an effort to revive its traditional street trading culture.
The new entity will also focus on improving city centre flat complexes that do not currently have full regeneration schemes in place, reports RTE.
Funding from European sources will support the initial establishment of the body.
It will also be responsible for developing a proposal for a tourist levy to help finance its activities, and a project team is being assembled without delay, reports RTE.
These initiatives are expected to be rolled out over the next ten years.
There is also a commitment to more visible policing and to placing services for vulnerable populations in more suitable locations, reports RTE.
However, the Irish Hotels Federation has voiced opposition to the proposed tourist levy, arguing there is no justification for it due to the “massive cost increases” the sector has faced in recent years.
The Federation warned that Ireland must maintain its appeal as a competitive tourist destination, adding that any new taxes would “increase cost for visitors and erode our competitiveness,” reports RTE.
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