Dublin City Business Association and public transport

Monday the 28th of March 2011
Welcome fellow members of the DCBA. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here today. May I start by thanking The Lord Mayor Gerry Breen for extending to us the use of this magnificent room of the DCBA AGM.
• Gerry Breen as Lord Mayor has been very active and supportive in encouraging business and job creation during his term and has done Dublin proud as first citizen
• This time last year I stated “That for many simply to still be in business in 2011 would be the measure of success” and in many respects things have not changed as we look to the coming year.
• However I sense a subtle change in people’s attitude and a feeling that we now need to look to the future rather than dwell on the calamity of the past.
• While so much of the environment in which we do business is predicated by factors external to our business and indeed our country, there are things that we can seek to have changed which can help to retain jobs and ultimately stimulate growth.
• This demands that all members of society accept their responsibility to the social contract. No longer can Landlords demand as a matter of right a rent that is grossly at variance with the market value. The Banks must release working capital to ensure Jobs are retained. And above all we must reignite the domestic economy. It has been so easy over the last year for each and everyone of us to retrench in our spending as we fear what might be coming. Yet it is by buying that cup of coffee or going out for an early bird meal or buying that item of clothing, that we allow what money we have to circulate and keep people in employment.
• Just as we in business have had to modify our approach to marketing and promotion from the BIG campaign to much more targeted and focused initiatives we in the DCBA call on the City Council and Government to look to support a myriad of small labour intensive projects rather than large vanity schemes.
• While we have always supported the Metro North project it is now transparently clear that this can not be allowed to proceed in the current climate. The disruption to business and additional job losses would far outweigh the benefits, particularly bearing in mind the growth assumptions on which it was based. We believe there are alternatives which use existing infrastructure which would be much more cost effective and would be more labour intensive during construction. In particular I would draw your attention to a recent paper presented to our council meeting on DARE (Dublin Area Rail express).
• We in the DCBA in conjunction with the Dublin Civic Trust have produced two significant reports. “Defining Dublin’s Historic Core” and “ The Capel Street and the City Markets” both of these reports have been very well received by the City council and we believe they will form the basis for a number of key projects over the coming years. It is by encouraging small indigenous business street by street that we in Dublin will retain our unique character and attraction both to Tourists and Locals alike.
• However for us to attract and retain visitors to Dublin it is imperative that the over centralisation of drug treatment and homeless centres in Dublin 1 and 2 be addressed as matter of urgency. The failed policies of the HSE and adjoining local authorities using Dublin 1 & 2 for addiction services is damaging tourism and is no longer acceptable.
• In conclusion may I thank on behalf of the DCBA the Garda Síochána the City Manager John Tierney for all their work for the good of Dublin. And all our members for their continuing support in these difficult times, may I wish you all every success in 2011.