Sections of Dublin city centre have been described by Independent Senator David Norris as "an area of dereliction and waste".

He told the Seanad that in the past week or two, during a convalescence, he had taken to walking around the area where he lived in the city centre which was the capital’s Georgian core. He had been horrified by what he had seen, he added.

“If one goes along towards the basin of North Frederick Street and Blessington Street one can see this and one can see it in the houses behind as well,” he said. “In Nelson Street, two houses are burned out.”

Mr Norris said there were houses in multiple occupation with one family per room, many of whom were new Irish or immigrants.

“God help them in these circumstances,” he added. He said the owners of the buildings were “rack-renting”.

Mr Norris said there were “numerous bells on the doors and those involved do not put one damn penny into the refurbishment of these areas”.

Degraded locality

In some of the streets off Mountjoy Square, there was dereliction as well with mounds of black bags bursting with rubbish, said Mr Norris.

“The whole area is suffering from degradation and blight,” he added. “There is multiple occupancy and curtains are drawn across a string.’’

Mr Norris described the Dublin County Council headquarters in O'Connell Street as "an ignorant, appalling building of mass concrete". On the other side of the road, there was the old Findlater shop which he remembered as most wonderfully dignified.

Two enormous spaces were left by the collapse of a development, said Mr Norris. “We have knickers shops and an amusement arcade,” he added. “What kind of a street is this for a capital city of a European country in the 21st century ?”

Paul Coghlan (FG) criticised the "mindless and senseless vandals" who climbed to the top of Carrauntoohil, in Kerry, to cut down the high cross.

“There have been numerous offers to help, thank God, to have it re-erected as quickly as possible.”