Dublin businesses have called on the Government to increase its housing target to “a minimum” of 53,000 units per year, and pleaded for more gardaí to combat antisocial behaviour.
Dublin Chamber, a major lobby group for businesses in the capital, published its pre-budget submission on Monday.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said at the weekend that almost 40,000 new homes would be completed this year, and reiterated his pledge to build a quarter of a million new homes over the next five years. However, Dublin Chamber said there must be a ramp-up in supply, particularly in the Greater Dublin Area due to “pent-up demand and the increased population growth” in the region.
The group also called on the State to provide Uisce Éireann, previously Irish Water, with “all necessary funding” to begin the Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project and the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme in January.
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“These projects have been heavily delayed, increasing the risk of Dublin being without water now and preventing the future growth of the city region that funds over half of all Government spending,” it warned.
Dublin Chamber also appealed to the Government to simplify the enterprise tax system by cutting capital gains tax for investments in unquoted actively trading SMEs from 33 per cent to 20 per cent.
Furthermore, it said there should be a reduction in the cost of full-time early learning and childcare services by increasing the national childcare scheme universal subsidy from €2.14 to €2.70 an hour.
The group’s submission also said the National Development Plan had “underestimated” Ireland’s population growth out to 2030, as well as the population growth that could be expected within the Greater Dublin Area in that period.
“As the ESRI have recently pointed out, the scale of investment has been far less than what is needed,” it said.
“Under the National Transport Authority’s transport strategy, for example, many projects are listed for delivery post 2035 ... the delivery date of these projects must be brought forward.
“Higher spending allocations and the acceleration of projects, which are at various stages of readiness, must be a priority.
“This undersupply of infrastructure is worsened by the vague timelines for many capital projects under the NDP. Timelines for all projects outlined in the NDP should be prepared, made publicly available and adhered to. “Delays in providing small sums of funding relative to the total cost of projects must not cause unnecessary delays.”
The group added that failing to provide sufficient funding to infrastructure projects in the short run “significantly increases” the cost of delivery, which it described as “a cost that is borne by future generations”.
On crime, it said Dublin businesses were “increasingly affected” by antisocial behaviour. “Increased social capital investment is required to encourage greater use of public space,” it said. “In addition, more funding should be allocated to An Garda Síochána to provide a more visible Garda presence in Dublin.”
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