Dublin’s cultural spaces should not be sacrificed for more hotels
Labour Party spokesperson on Community Arts, Rebecca Moynihan, has said that cultural spaces in Dublin should not be sacrificed for more hotels.
Councillor Moynihan said:
“There has been way too many high profile closures of artistic and cultural spaces in our capital city so that their sites can now make way for hotels.
“Dublin is a city with a rich cultural history and soul, it cannot just be a city filled with glossy hotels aimed at a transient market – we need proper lasting cultural and social spaces that Dubliners and visitors to our city can enjoy.
“In my own constituency of Dublin South Central, I can point to the examples of the Tivoli Theatre and Mill Street artist studios have been replaced with hotels.
“We know that Dublin is a city with complex housing needs and the focus should really be on ensuring that housing needs are met for those who call Dublin home, not on how many hotels can go up in Dublin in one year.
“Tourist numbers have shot up but that doesn’t mean that every bit of spare land in the city centre needs to be turned into a hotel.
“If we are serious about maintaining our reputation as a vibrant, creative and cultural city, we need to assess what is happening to cultural spaces and how State actors such as Dublin City Council can intervene.
“At a City Council level, I have been clear in my views, if Dublin City Council land cannot be used for housing provision, then we must assess it for cultural use.”