Dublin Town, an organisation promoting business in the city centre, could soon face dissolution if traders do not vote in favour of its renewal.
The company, formerly known as Dublin City Business Improvement District (Bid), was set up 10 years ago and is responsible for the city’s Christmas lights and promotions such as Dine in Dublin and the Dublin Fashion Festival.
It also supplements Dublin City Council’s cleaning programmes.
However, a growing number of Dublin Town’s 2,500 members feel they are not getting value for what they are obliged to pay towards the organisation.
Members must pay the equivalent of 5 per cent of their rates bill each year to Dublin Town, which has an annual income of more than €3 million.
Once rate-payers are within its area of operation they are legally obliged to pay in.
The Dublin Town scheme runs for a five-year term, and must gain the support of more than 50 per cent of the member businesses for it to be renewed.
A strategic plan for its renewal will be available for public consultation from Wednesday, ahead of a plebiscite of businesses.
When the plebiscite was last held in 2012, about two-thirds of traders voted in favour of continuing the scheme. However, a number of businesses say opposition to the company is growing.
Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the the Restaurants’ Association of Ireland, said he was not in favour of Dublin Town continuing in its current form.
“Our members account for about 15 per cent of the businesses in the area and at least 70 per cent of them are opposed to the [organisation], in what it has become,” he said.
“Originally it was set up to clean the streets and improve the district, but it has morphed into a quasi-marketing agency with multiple brands which is duplicating the work of other organisations such as Fáilte Ireland.”
Little benefit
Mary Costello, of jewellery and accessories shop Costelloe + Costelloe on Chatham Street, said the scheme had been of little benefit to smaller retailers.
“I think smaller businesses feel they are supplementing the bigger retailers. If you have an upper floor physiotherapy business or are an accountant, you still have to pay, even if its of no relevance to you.”
Ms Costello is part of a group of 500 businesses which have signed a petition to end the obligation to pay into the scheme.
“We believe this scheme should be optional rather than compulsory,” she said.
Dublin Town chief executive Richard Guiney said the scheme had been hugely beneficial to the city, which was competing with out of town shopping centres which were professionally managed and marketed.
“We have also removed 35,000 needles from the streets and 38,000sq m of graffiti.
“We have worked closely with the gardaí in improving the north inner city and we have helped to minimise the impact of the Luas works.”
He said he was confident the plebiscite would be in favour of renewing the company.
Independent city councilllor Mannix Flynn, a former Dublin Town board member, said business were “sick of paying on the double” for services their rates should cover.
“I don’t believe the Bid will survive the vote.”
However, Labour councillor and current board member Dermot Lacey said it was a worthwhile scheme. “I think it has brought a focus to the city centre.”
