Is it possible to come in?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing that. I am happy to support the extension of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 once again but I will say at the outset what we said the last several times we have been asked to extend this piece of legislation: we cannot keep treating it as a temporary measure. I appreciate the Minister of State said in his opening contribution that this is going to be addressed. It is important we do that with some urgency. Outdoor dining has proven itself. It has changed how people use their city. It deserves permanence and not another six- to 12-month stay of execution. We have all seen the effect it has on the character and energy of Dublin. Drury Street, which I will pass by on my way home today, is one of the best examples we have of how outdoor dining can work when it is done right. Any summer, or even autumn, evening, the place is absolutely buzzing. It is full of life and it is showing exactly what a city centre can be when we give people the space to enjoy it. During the summer, I was heading through the city and I heard someone say that they were going into town, to which their friend fired back, “Are you on Drury duty?”. I love that because when language penetrates into the vernacular of the people, that is when you will actually see a measure worth keeping. The success of outdoor dining has always been about more than tables or chairs; it speaks to something deeper, that is, the right of people to experience a city as citizens and participants in a social life rather than mere consumers moving through it. If we truly believe in this, then we need to broaden its footprint. Last year, I said that we need to bring some of that ambition north of the river and I say that again today. Imagine Talbot Street, which is often discussed, with a stretch of outdoor dining and public seating. Imagine Amiens Street with colour and life spilling out from the shopfronts. Likewise, imagine Parnell Street as a vibrant, welcoming boulevard which all of its communities deserve. That is not fanciful because we have seen what happened on Capel Street where the council actually gave it some attention and totally transformed the whole dynamic of that street. We can start sending some of that love around some of those other streets too. These are streets where people live, work and spend their time and they would be utterly transformed by the confidence of the council and the State and a bit of design and political will. None of this can happen in isolation, however. Streets do not redesign themselves and business will not invest if the State refuses to give clarity. Local authorities cannot build a new public realm out of thin air. When we talk of the Dublin city task force, it got so much fanfare initially by the Tánaiste and then by everyone across the Government. They talked about it being essential but gave absolutely no resources to it. That is not only frustrating but it fails the city of Dublin. We cannot keep going on like this, talking about the need for urgent task forces, organising press releases and Ministers going to the GPO only for not one single cent to be given to it two years later. It was insulting to the people of Dublin to keep kicking that can down the road while the city cries out for investment, imagination and leadership. Outdoor dining has shown us what is possible. The people of this city, businesses and councillors have already embraced it. This House overwhelmingly and clearly embraces it also. It is time for the Government to stop renewing temporary solutions and start backing permanent ones by making this legislation permanent, funding the Dublin city task force, and giving local authorities the certainty they need to build - I am conscious I am speaking in the national Parliament but I am a Dublin representative - a capital city that people can be truly proud of. I will support the legislation but I will support even more strongly a vision of a city that is vibrant, public, inclusive and one that belongs to the people.

Sentiment score: 0.23