Ó Ríordáin: Violent attack in Dublin city centre is a symptom of years of political neglect
Ó Ríordáin: Violent attack in Dublin city centre is a symptom of years of political neglect - The Labour Party
Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that last night’s horrific attack in Dublin city centre is further evidence of the decline of the capital, and that the government is not taking the crisis seriously enough. He extended his sympathies to the family of the victim.
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said:
“My thoughts are with the family of the person who lost their life last night. I extend my deepest condolences to all who loved them.
While the exact circumstances of this death will be investigated by the gardai attacks like this are a clear sign of the deterioration and neglect of our city centre. Dublin is facing decline, dereliction and decay, and violent attacks like this are a symptom of that deeper failure.
“The appointment of Robert Watt to lead the Dublin City Task Force was a welcome step, but one appointment does not fix a city. The problems Dublin faces go far deeper than any single role can address.
“Eighty percent of homeless children in this state are in Dublin. Dereliction scars communities across the city. And the commitment in the Programme for Government to a directly elected mayor, something that could give Dublin real political agency, is going nowhere. That tells you everything about where Dublin sits in this government’s priorities.
“The reality is that government priorities are driven by rural TDs who have no stake in making Dublin work. The city has been left to private investors while communities are hollowed out. Dublin is not being treated as a living city. It is being treated as a commercial asset.
“We need real investment in communities, in community services, and in community policing. Places like Oliver Bond need to see that investment now. Until the government treats Dublin as a political priority, not an afterthought, we will keep having this conversation.”