Regeneration Efforts and Ongoing Challenges in Dublin’s North East Inner City
Dublin’s North East Inner City has undergone significant changes in the past decade, driven by the North East Inner City Initiative (NEIC), but challenges remain, particularly around crime and social issues. This comes as the initiative navigates a transition in leadership.
According to local community worker Gillian Collins, who has worked with youth for 27 years, the NEIC has had a “huge impact” since its inception ten years ago. “There’s been massive changes … changes for the good but there’s still a lot that can be achieved,” she said.
The NEIC taskforce was established in response to a series of gangland murders following the Regency hotel shooting, with the aim of improving safety and overseeing long-term social and economic regeneration. The taskforce is currently chaired on an interim basis by Liz Canavan, assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach, following the departure of former presidential candidate Jim Gavin last month.
The Mulvey Report, titled ‘Creating a Brighter Future,’ published in February 2017, identified four key areas for improvement: crime and drugs, education and training, social supports, and the physical landscape. The report highlighted the area as previously “run-down” and “neglected.”
Increased Garda Presence, Persistent Drug Issues
Efforts to tackle crime have included more than doubling the number of Garda assigned to the area, with the addition of two sergeants and eight Gardaí, and the re-opening of Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station. Despite increased patrols, drug dealing remains a prevalent issue on the streets.
Collins believes that despite the increase in Garda numbers, crime has also risen, leading her to suggest “there will never be enough gardaí in the north inner city.” Zachariah Caffrey, a 23-year-old resident of Seán McDermott Street, echoed these concerns, stating that drugs are a “major issue” with “young children on drugs, selling drugs as well, it has become a burden on the area.”
Investing in Education and Addressing Out-of-School Factors
A pilot scheme is underway in ten primary and five post-primary schools, offering opportunities to encourage students to remain in the educational system. The program involves collaboration between the Department of Education, Tusla, Boston College, and Mary Immaculate College.
Mickey McHugh, programme manager for City Connects, explained that an individualised plan is tailored for each student, based on their strengths, needs, and interests. He noted that the program has led to higher attendance levels, as students are more engaged with school activities.
Gerry Cullen, National Lead for the project, emphasized the importance of addressing factors outside of school that impact academic achievement. “About two thirds of the disparity in achievement can be accounted for by these out of school factors,” he said, citing housing instability, food insecurity, and difficult family situations – including involvement in crime or domestic violence – as key challenges.
Physical Regeneration and Remaining Challenges
The Mulvey report also called for improvements to the physical environment. Significant work has been completed under the Greening Strategy, including upgrades to Liberty Park and Diamond Park. However, Aldborough House, a significant Georgian mansion, remains derelict, nearly a decade after the report identified its restoration as “imperative.”
Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdams is calling for a permanent chair to be appointed to the NEIC taskforce, as the initiative continues to address complex social and economic challenges in the North East Inner City.
