For more than a decade Mary has worked, with local residents and Dublin City Council, to address dereliction and champion regeneration of the North Inner City.
When Fianna Fáil were in opposition Mary proposed legislation for North Inner City regeneration and brought leader of Fianna Fáil Micheal Martin TD to see the dereliction in the North Inner City and the enormous potential for regeneration of this tarnished gem.
Mary succeeded when Fianna Fáil entered Government to champion regeneration through securing €121million in Urban Regeneration Development Funding for the North Inner City.
The funding is provided to Dublin City Council to regenerate and redevelop several areas that have suffered from dereliction and decline over a number of years.
The main objective is to achieve long-term sustainable regeneration around the redevelopment of the Fruit and Vegetable Market, Smithfield, and the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter through a number of complementary projects:
- Markets and Public Realm to include pedestrianisation of streets, creation of public spaces, greening and cycle routes.
- Broadstone to Royal Canal – development of a pedestrian and cycle route.
- Parnell Square Public Realm works to create a civic space to link the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter buildings, which will involve the construction of a new city library.
- Mountjoy Square Construction project, which consists of a number of restoration measures and refurbishment of the existing community building.
- 41 Parnell Square – acquisition and refurbishment of a protected structure.
- Five Lamps Public Realm works, involving improvements to public lighting, street paving, street art and furniture.
- Moore Street Public Realm Renewal works to include lighting, public art, paving, stalls, signage to reactivate one of the most important trading streets in the city.
- 14-17 Moore Street – structural and restoration works to 4 houses to facilitate the reuse of these historic buildings to create an iconic visitor attraction and rejuvenation of a historic street.
This regeneration of the North Inner City is long overdue. Finally, this significant capital investment from Government will deliver a lasting and sustainable regeneration for the local community and due to its prime location at the heart of our capital city for our entire nation for generations to come.