Department Store Arnotts Targets GPO Social Welfare Facility to Curb Dublin Crime
Management at the Dublin department store Arnotts has urged senior civil servant Robert Watt to shut down social welfare cash payouts at the historic General Post Office on O’Connell Street, arguing the facility contributes to ongoing antisocial behaviour in the city centre. The proposal was submitted via an email from Mark Limby, operations director of Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd, and subsequently logged on the Register of Lobbying maintained by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Arnotts asks to move social welfare payments
The communication from Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd reached Robert Watt, the senior civil servant seconded by the Government to act as Dublin’s regeneration tsar and lead the Dublin City Taskforce. The taskforce focuses on revitalising the O’Connell Street area and tackling long-term issues involving dereliction and antisocial behaviour.
In an official statement regarding the engagement, Arnotts management defended raising the issue.
Given the concentration of multiple services at the GPO, we asked that the location for social welfare payments be considered as part of the wider plans for the area,
the company stated. The GPO is an iconic and historic building and an important tourist destination, and we believe its use is a legitimate question to raise in the context of the taskforce’s work.
The department store operator emphasised that any review of social welfare distribution must be handled by the Department of Social Protection and An Post. Arnotts noted it expects any transition to prioritize the practical needs of recipients to ensure a modern and accessible setting where no one is disadvantaged.
Contrasting Responses from An Post and Local Representatives
An Post disputed the department store’s assessment of the facility’s impact, stating it received no advance notice of the retail proposal.
The distribution of Department of Social Protection benefit payments is an integral and valued function of the post office network, including at the GPO, and it is a vital service for customers and local communities,
An Post said in an official response.
While most An Post staff have relocated from the GPO to new headquarters in the Dublin docklands, the post office facility remains operational. The Office of Public Works is currently preparing a public consultation to evaluate alternative future uses for the building, such as alternative uses by arts groups.
Social Democrats TD Daniel Ennis, whose Dublin Central constituency includes O’Connell Street, pushed back against linking benefit collection to criminality.
Collecting your pension or welfare payment is not anti-social behaviour,
Ennis said, adding that while Dublin 1 suffers from an over-concentration of services, a central post office serving local residents remains essential.
Who owns Arnotts and Brown Thomas?
Who owns Arnotts and Brown Thomas?
Both department stores are owned by the Selfridges Group.
What is Robert Watt’s role in Dublin city regeneration?
Robert Watt serves as the senior civil servant seconded by the Government to act as Dublin’s regeneration tsar and lead the Dublin City Taskforce, which addresses O’Connell Street area improvements.
What does the Office of Public Works plan for the GPO?
The Office of Public Works is preparing a public consultation to explore alternative future uses for the historic GPO building, including potential spaces for arts groups, while the post office facility remains open.
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