LATEST DUBLIN CITY NEWS

• “Proposed changes to retail guidelines will cost jobs, compromise main streets and cause more dereliction - An Taisce”

  03-01-2012

  Jobs will be lost and main streets will suffer if Forfas gets its way on Retail Planning  according to a recent An Taisce  Press Release

• Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product

  23-12-2011

  Dublin City Business Association commissioned Jerome Casey and Felim O’Rourke to undertake a study of tourism in Dublin and to make least-cost recommendations for its rejuvenation. The World Tourism Organisation concluded (in relation to Ireland) that "there appears to be very little correlation between marketing spending by National Tourism Organisations and international arrivals". 
  

  Within Ireland, there is a mismatch between the Irish tourism market and the public resources devoted to it. 

  33 existing tourist attractions in Dublin were reviewed, and low-cost initiatives suggested for their improvement.

  From 2000 – 2010 Ireland’s share of world tourism visitors has fallen sharply. In 2004, Ireland changed from being a destination country for incoming tourists to an origin country for Irish, outgoing tourists.

  Dublin must move from passive approval of tourist activities to an active development of tourism as a priority industry in regenerating the city’s economy. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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Garda Reserve Force gets support

Tuesday the 14th of February 2006

When asked, the public always want more police on the streets so that they can feel safe. Resources in any democracy are and will always be limited. It just is not possible to put a Garda on every corner and every cross roads. The decision of the Oireachtas to establish a Garda Reserve Force is a welcome positive step in the right direction and under the supervision of the Gardai can be a useful additional pair of hands in policing, especially alcohol disorder on the streets of Irish towns and cities after dark.

The association representing Garda superintendents has supported the proposal to establish a Garda Reserve Force. This is a sensible and welcome decision and restores some of the damage to the reputation of the Gardai created by their unreasonable opposition of the GRA to the Garda Reserve force. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the opposition by the rank and file is really about overtime, if so this is unacceptable. The Irish taxpayer expects public servants to provide an adequate service for the salaries paid and overtime must not be part of this culture.  Accountability, flexibility, results and value for money must be the rule from now on for teachers, health workers, prison staff or Gardai. The next election will be held in an environment where the number of people employed in the Irish economy has doubled, but most are in the private sector and unlikely to vote for pork barrel politics for the public sector.

Recently the Taoiseach told the Finance & Public Service Committee that there will be "a clear link between pay and the implementation of change" in future pay rises for public servants.