Sir, – While Una Mullally has highlighted many of the issues facing the visitor to Dublin (“European tourist visits to outrageously expensive Dublin are declining because our capital has an ambience issue”, Opinion & Analysis, April 17th), the elephant in the room of drug abuse and anti-social behaviour in the city centre is notably absent from her article.
Perhaps this would be seen as “punching down” by bringing this argument to this case, but the simple fact remains that many people are intimidated by those engaging in anti-social behaviour, which is exceedingly visible across many parts of the city centre, especially as the day progresses.
Corporate gentrification and “terrible architecture” cannot be blamed for people not wanting to sit outside in locations where aggressive panhandling and drug consumption takes place. It is true that good planning and a thriving, non-transient city centre population will for sure add to the improvement in the general “ambience” that your columnist seeks. However, until a sense of security and family friendliness comes to the city, a lot of visitors and citizens will take their spending elsewhere. – Yours, etc,
RORY J WHELAN,
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Drogheda,
Co Meath.
