Dublin City Council last week hosted the (NTE) Night Time Economy Summit with the purpose to bring together key stakeholders to discuss how to enhance Dublin’s night time economy and overcome recent negative headlines relating to diminishing city centre footfall and public safety.
There has been a renewed focus in recent years on the part of Government to develop Dublin’s night time economy and to bring it on a par with other leading European capitals. The NTE Summit was also particularly timely in light of recent Dublin riots and a growing reluctance on the part of some people to work and socialise in the city centre after dark.
In September 2021, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, led by Minister Catherine Martin TD, published its inaugural Night-Time Economy Taskforce report. One of the key recommendations to emerge from the report is the creation of a Dublin Mayor of Night Time Activity. As recently as August, the Minister committed to having the successful candidate in situ by Christmas this year.
The concept of a Dublin Night Mayor is not a new idea, however. The rationale for this new position is that a vibrant, wide-reaching night-time culture, shaped and steered by a dedicated mayoral office, has the potential to embolden the city’s creative scene, deliver safer streets, and renewed economic vigour. In effect, everybody wins, and we might even ease off the binge drinking in the process.
At face value, the Minister’s public commitment to the creation of this new office is a positive. However, its success will ultimately be dictated by two key factors: (1) clarity of vision and (2) budgetary and decision-making autonomy.