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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Modernising the Garda

Tuesday the 7th of November 2006

Major changes in the structure of An Garda Síochána involving the employment of civilians at all levels in the force, from senior management to clerical grades, have been proposed in two reports released by An Garda. The reports were compiled by former Boston police chief Kathleen 'O Toole and the Garda Advisory Group.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has welcomed the recommendations made in the reports and promised to implement them as quickly as possible.

Both reports recommended the employment of far more civilians at all levels in the force up to the level of Deputy Commissioner. The proposals were welcomed by the Garda Representative Association, the Association of Garda Superintendents and the Dublin City Business Association.

The inspectorate report said that the structure of the Garda force was 20 years out of date as it had not been moved decisively in the direction of civilianising senior management positions like police forces in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. There is around 10% civilianisation in An Garda Síochána at a time when the international average is as high as 40%.

Among the key recommendations of the two reports are:

• The appointment of a civilian at deputy Garda commissioner level to deal with the 
  administration and resource management.
• The creation of three new executive civilian posts as legal adviser, director of
  human resource management and director of ICT.
• The maximum delegation of operational responsibility to the assistant
  commissioners in charge of the regions, with appropriate support by civilian staff  
  in areas such as finance.
• The appointment of a civilian director of communications.
• The accelerated recruitment of civilian support staff so as to release Gardaí for
  operational duties.

Mr McDowell said "I have said on many occasions and I say it again here and now, that An Garda Síochána is one of the key organisations in the State, and one which has so many decent, dedicated and capable men and women. They are entitled to the fullest possible range of support. They deserve expert civilian support staff and an organisational structure which frees them to use their skill and experience on operational policing duties. These reports are a major step in that direction"

Labour's justice spokesman, Brendan Howlin, backed the reforms as a "useful contribution towards modernising the outdated and old fashioned structures of our police service".