I move amendment No. 4:
In page 7, before section 10, to insert the following new section:
"10.—The area of Parnell Street from Parnell Monument to Gardiner Street shall be designated as a special incentive area."
I think a good job has been done in regard to integrated area plans being a reserved function of local authorities and I thank Senator Doyle for making the Dublin Corporation plan available to Members. As someone who lives there, I notice no treatment whatsoever is accorded to the area between the Parnell Monument and Gardiner Street which is undoubtedly one of the worst blots on the face of Dublin. I have raised this issue in as many fora as I could. An advertisement appeared in the newspapers some six months ago seeking submissions to the Dublin Regional Authority which was applying for EU Structural Funds. I would like to quote part of the detailed submission I made to the authority:
I feel in any resuscitation of Dublin, it is absolutely vital that the north of the city should no longer be ignored. The era of neglect of north side Dublin should be comprehensively brought to an end, especially under this Government with its enlightened northside Taoiseach.
There are a number of major areas of blight. One of the most significant is the whole stretch of Parnell Street. The worst part of this is between O'Connell Street and Gardiner Street. When I was on the panel of the Faces of Dublin Business Awards, I succeeded in getting the remit of this group extended to take in Capel Street and Parnell Street. Whereas this had a significant impact in increasing the profile and business appearance of Capel Street, it had only a modest effect in Parnell Street, although it did have some. It seems to me that that important street in terms of public visibility and centrality requires special incentives. To date, successive Governments have done sweet damn all except to dump a half way house for prisoners and drug addicts in the old Kennedy's bakery (no doubt a worthy cause but not one which I see Dublin 4 or Foxrock queueing up to attract!). What I would suggest would be a carefully worked out programme of incentives which should be initiated to encourage an architecturally, socially and commercially appropriate development of this street. Moreover, if anything could be done to alter or remove the worst architectural blight on the north side of the city, namely, telephone house on Marlborough Street, that would be a wonderful bonus.
Perhaps, the Minister could arrange for semtex to be decommissioned inside telephone house, thereby serving two functions, the removal of semtex and the removal of one of the most appalling buildings in the city.
The Government and the Corporation have cooperated in drawing up a very imaginative plan to resuscitate O'Connell Street and that general area. Perhaps the Minister could reassure me that something is in the pipeline for the very neglected area I have outlined. If not, people will promenade along O'Connell Street and spill out into an appalling area.
Everything possible which could be done to make the area worse has been done, not only the location of a half way house for drug addicts in a distinguished old building but the granting of planning permissions and licences for four of the worst dens of iniquity in the city, namely, Fibber Magee's where drug addicts are constantly being arrested, Rumours night club, the Back Gate and P. J. McGrath's. I previously warned that if action was not taken to address this problem, murder would be committed. I have been proved right on more than one occasion since I made that statement.
This problem may not appear to be directly related to architecture but I suggest it is. Unless we provide incentives and implement the planning regulations and unless the Garda and Judiciary are prepared to carefully consider the granting of licences to these kind of premises, the blight will continue. I suggest that any plan which does not take that stretch of O'Connell Street into account cannot really be regarded as an integrated area plan at all as it would be leaving out one of the principal elements of the jigsaw. Perhaps I have not read the material sufficiently carefully but the Dublin Corporation plan does not seem to deal extensively with this area. Even if the Minister is unable to accept my amendment, perhaps he will give some indication that the Government will focus attention on this disaster area.
I would like to pay tribute to some of the business people who have stayed in the area through difficult times, decent pub owners and small reputable businesses, such as We Fit Doors, Westbrook Garage and others which provide employment and maintain decent premises. They are not being helped. I see small businesses driven out of the area on a regular basis by the intolerable conditions which prevail there.