In her New Year Message, Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne said: 

‘2008 has been a rollercoaster of a year, and the world certainly seems a different place this Christmas. 

Business continues in the city but no doubt at a slower pace.  The year ahead will be one requiring creative approaches to maintaining and developing business in the city.

Working together, I believe that Dublin City Council and the various groups representing business can forge new links nationally and internationally which will sustain us through a difficult period.  Dubliners don’t lack imagination and creativity – now more than ever we need to harness that “ can do “ attitude. 

As we reflect on the year past, we should pay tribute to the men and women of all services who contribute to this city.  In particular, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who work in the emergency services, our Gardai, Fire Service, and Civil Defence, who very often put themselves in harm’s way on our behalf.  Going into the New Year, I shall continue to call on members of the judiciary to show no leniency to those accused of any assault on our members of emergency services. 

We still have homeless in our city this Christmas – we shouldn’t have.  Seven years later and dozens of reports on, what is happening and why have we not grasped the nettle?  It is time for tough questions in the New Year but we have a real opportunity, following recent reviews of the services, to make history by making 2009 the year that we finally address the challenge of supporting our most vulnerable. 

We are certainly living in an unprecedented economic period but in its time Dublin has survived famine and rebellion.  Our city is built on the shoulders of giants.  When the dust settles in the New Year we have to get on with rebuilding. 

Most importantly, we need to keep our safety nets intact for those in the city for whom 2009 may not bring the blessing of a bright future.’