Sir, - Your article, “Dublin city regeneration body takes shape but questions over funding remain” in The Irish Times will have resonated with many of us working in Dublin’s city centre – not least because it confirms what is already evident on the ground.
As a business owner operating from a protected Georgian building for more than 25 years, I see daily the slow erosion of the city’s historic core. Vacancy, neglect and a lack of visible progress are no longer abstract concerns; they are part of everyday experience.
The establishment of a regeneration body, led by Robert Watt, is welcome. It suggests recognition at senior level that Dublin needs attention. But recognition is not regeneration.
At present, the funding required to deliver meaningful change appears uncertain. That matters, because without it, even the best-structured initiative risks becoming another layer of co-ordination rather than a driver of real improvement.
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At the same time, significant investment is being directed towards office provision for staff under Dublin City Council. Of course, public servants need appropriate working environments. That is not in question.
But in a city now operating under hybrid working patterns – with an established headquarters at Wood Quay – it is reasonable to ask how decisions on further office investment are being balanced against the urgent need to address the condition of the city itself.
Those of us who invest in Dublin’s buildings and rely on its vitality are not looking for further frameworks. We are looking for signs of delivery.
Dublin has had no shortage of plans. What it requires now is the funding – and the urgency – to match them. – Yours, etc,
MANDY WILLIAMS,
The Oriel Gallery,
Dublin 2.
