Government support and business engagement key to City Edge success

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has welcomed progress being made on the City Edge Project. Government support and investment, as well as engagement with local businesses will be important to future success. 

Aidan Sweeney, Ibec Dublin & Eastern Region spokesperson said: “The City Edge project is an exciting opportunity for Dublin’s long-term growth. At its core is the determination to tackle unsustainable development patterns and sprawl, which have characterised development across the wider Dublin region and spilled into surrounding counties. 

“The City Edge project spans an area four times larger than the Docklands. The ambition shown by South Dublin County Council and Dublin City Council is to be welcomed. We now need a clear plan, with timelines, on how it will be delivered and funded. It is a 50-year plan, so expectations will need to be managed on the level of housing, new industrial sites, and other developments that can be delivered in the short and medium term. 

“With 1,500 businesses and over 25,000 people currently employed in the area, it is critical that communication is central to the project to accommodate business concerns and to address any investment or operational concerns they may have. The buy-in of stakeholders must be achieved early in the project cycle. Business should not be solely considered as ‘landowners’, but major employers, manufacturers, and service providers. Afterall, we are all shareholders in Dublin’s future prosperity.”