News

Public Policy in Dublin: John Gormley TD launches DCU book

27 October 2010

John Gormley, TD, with Deiric O'Brion, DCU, at the launch

The book ‘Local Dublin, Global Dublin: Public Policy in an Evolving City Region’ edited by David Jacobson and Deiric Ó Broin, was launched today by John Gormley, TD, Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The book examines the relationships between public agencies (local, regional and national), public investment, indigenous and multinational enterprises, and the citizenry of the region. Of particular interest is the evolution of public policy making in the region and the use of the concept ‘city region’ to characterise Dublin. The book examines aspects of economic and industrial policy, spatial planning, labour market policy, and the economic development drivers of public infrastructure investment. This responds to an increased concern among scholars, experts, politicians, civil society activists and policy makers in recent years for regional and local models of development and the lack of policies of intervention focused on the region.

Ó Broin proposes a rethink in the way policy is determined in Dublin. "Many of the problems underlined in this book will not be amenable to solution without this transformation in governance. At the heart of this transformation is the necessity for the involvement, and therefore support, of the city region’s citizens in the process of determining key aspects of Dublin’s policies", he said.