Fine Gael has appointed a Dublin spokesman after an internal report said the party had difficulty developing its identity in the city.
The appointment of Senator Brian Hayes to the front-bench position is seen as an attempt to boost Fine Gael's profile in Dublin ahead of the local elections next year.
Mr Hayes lost his seat in Dublin South West last year when the party's vote collapsed in the city. After losing nine seats, it retains only three TDs in Dublin.
The party indicated that it would seek to increase its media profile in Dublin, stating that communicating with the electorate and developing its profile was the key to its recovery.
"This appointment will help focus media attention on Dublin issues in particular and on the party's efforts to rebuild in the capital," it said.
Fine Gael declined yesterday to release the report of its Dublin Action Group, chaired by Mr George Birmingham, which assessed its problems in the city.
However, a summary seen by The Irish Times called for a campaign-based strategy "in the light of our severely depleted Oireachtas representation in Dublin".
Stating that all campaigns must be rooted in reliable research, the report suggested a number of campaign templates both for the party organisation and for individual candidates.
The summary said the report "recognises the fact that the party has difficulty in generating a Dublin-specific identity".
The report called for increased membership, a specific Dublin office for the party and the appointment of a Dublin spokesman. In addition, it said the local elections would provide the immediate focus of its work in Dublin in the next year.
The summary also outlined recommendations aimed at improving the party's service to candidates.
These included media and technology training; a candidate charter; a mentor system; a system for co-ordinating work plans and a system for facilitating practical support from Oireachtas members outside Dublin.
The party also said it would follow through on the efforts of the spokesman, if elected to government, by appointing a Minister of State for Dublin to counter a lack of political concentration on the capital's problems.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said Mr Hayes would co-ordinate his efforts with the work of the party's other front-benchers.
Mr Hayes was elected to the Dáil in 1997 and was Northern Ireland spokesman when Mr John Bruton was party leader. After he lost his seat in Dublin South West last year, he was elected to the cultural and educational panel of the Seanad.
He said he would highlight transport problems in the city. Claiming that no one was in charge of transport in Dublin, he said there were more than 20 agencies managing the system.