Though there is much to be positive about Dublin, the function of the city centre has profoundly altered, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Fewer people traveling to work in offices daily, a shift in shopping and socialising patterns and concerns that the streets are not safe have contributed to a growing reluctance to engage in city centre activities and a significant drop in footfall.

As fewer people have cause or desire to walk the city’s streets, particularly after business hours, the resulting lack of activity adds to the sense of emptiness and neglect and emboldens anti-social behaviour and visible drug taking. This further reinforces the perception that the streets are unsafe and leads to a vicious circle of declining footfall and rising insecurity.

To address these issues, the Taskforce aligned behind three common missions:

• More people living in the city centre
• Streets that look cleaner and feel safer
• A healthy, vibrant, always-on city that respects its heritage