DUBLIN should have a powerful municipal authority, with control over health, education, social services and police force, if it is to grow into a great city, the president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce said last night. Ms Mary Finan argued that Europe was returning to an age of the city-state, with cities becoming the basic unit in a competitive global economy.

Citing the criteria from a recent Fortune magazine article on the `Best Cities for Business', Ms Finan said Dublin could score well only on some points. While the capital has fine universities and research institutions, Dublin also has violent crime and an inferior transport system.

The wider issue, she continued, was that Dublin didn't yet have the right structure in place for running a great city: "We have to go to national government to get sanction for even the most trivial matters. We don't have a municipal authority with responsibility for health, education, social services and the police."