Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to discuss this matter. I have no wish to be disparaging towards the Minister of State but it is disappointing the Minister responsible is not present to address this matter. I was appalled to read the recent report from the Comptroller and Auditor General which identified the shortcomings of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, its financial management, its planning functions and the management of the business of the board. It was appalling to read of the lies those involved told the Department. The authority bought a site for €431 million in the knowledge that its value was €220 million and without any analysis of the benefits or costs of the site. There was no regard for other issues relating to certain planning decisions they made. Two members of the board of the DDDA were directors of Anglo Irish Bank and another was a director of the Bank of Ireland.

A parliamentary question asked of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, as he was known then, requesting his views on any conflict of interest which would inhibit the Dublin Docklands Development Authority from making balanced planning decisions in the docklands area. The question was put by Tony Gregory to the then Minister, Dick Roche, on 4 November 2004. What could have been avoided had the matter been dealt with then? Part of the answer stated: "It is difficult in a relatively small city to select people with the talent and the time and who are willing to give service to the public through these boards." We know the type of service they have given to this city and country. That is not to take from the current chairperson and the work she has been doing.

The involvement of communities is important. I was born in and I continue to live in one of the docklands communities, like Deputy Kevin Humphreys, although we are on opposite sides of the Liffey. There have been problematic relations with the communities but there have been positive relations with the communities as well. I hope and call for the residents and the communities to be involved, consulted and included in any replacement structures. Will anything happen to the people who told such blatant lies? I hope the idea of winding down the DDDA will not allow them off the hook.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State. Like Deputy O'Sullivan, I am disappointed the Minister, Deputy Hogan, is not present. I hope the Minister of State will carry back the message loud and clear. I concur with what Deputy O'Sullivan has said but I will not concentrate on the negatives because too often we concentrate on the negatives. In its early years the Dublin Docklands Development Authority was an important structure and made considerable changes in the docklands communities on the north and south sides. Nevertheless, the authority has questions to answer. I call on the Minister of State to bring this to the Cabinet and to discuss the need for a full debate on the matter. A Topical Issue debate is too limited to cover what is an important issue for the city and the country. This is an area of strategic importance for job development.

I have serious concerns that we will miss out on many of the benefits. Let us recall the early years when the DDDA was set up. It had a social regeneration remit for the docklands area. Previously, some 35% of all docklanders left school at 11 years of age, a total of 55% left school at 15 years of age, only 10% sat the leaving certificate and only 1% went on to further education. Last year, some 60% of docklanders sat the leaving certificate examination. This is a tangible result. The docklands area is now close to the national average, only 2% below it, for attendance at third level education. This is a credit to the teachers and the principals in the community but it is also a credit to the social regeneration bodies and the community councils involved in education initiatives to bring up the standards and results to the national average. We must consider these and other positive aspects which have delivered during the existence of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. Unfortunately, it lost its way toward the end.

Some 300 high-end job placements at the IFSC came through a placement service. Along with the late Tony Gregory, I served on the community council responsible for this initiative. We worked with the business sector and the placements came through the authority. These people are now role models in their communities. They have shown the value of education and that there are real jobs at the end of an educational process, which jobs pay good salaries. I call on the Minister of State to take the message back to the Minister, Deputy Hogan, that he should not throw the baby out with the bath water. This area can create jobs and it can be an engine for growth. We must consider a mechanism for getting the docklands area in Dublin moving again. There must be full community involvement and there must be real and tangible community gains.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I regret that the Minister is not present and I must stand in the bearna baol. I will ensure the Deputies' views will be clearly and absolutely brought to the attention of the Minister and his Department.

When Deputy Ross was a Senator, he and I sat on the Joint Committee on Transport, as it was known. We called in representatives from CIE every month for several months to discuss an issue arising from an audit. We found this to be a useful mechanism. I accept totally that this is a short debate and I will not take up too much time with it. We found that bringing in the relevant people before the committee and questioning the auditors was useful. Accountability to an Oireachtas committee can be useful. I am unsure whether that is a helpful suggestion but I will bring the request for a full debate to the attention of the Minister.

The Minister, Deputy Hogan, announced last Thursday that the Government has decided to wind up the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, DDDA. When making the announcement, the Minister emphasised the decision had been made following consideration of a special report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the authority's 2011 annual report and financial statements, both of which were also published last Thursday.

Elements of the special report make for grim reading, especially those relating to the authority's assessment and decision-making processes leading to its decision in 2006 to become involved in the purchase of the former Irish Glass Bottle site, an episode which has cost the authority €52 million, aside from the associated reputational damage. While it is naturally welcome to note the annual report shows the authority having recorded a small surplus, its first in a number of years, the future financial outlook for the authority presents a very different picture.

The reality emerging from both the 2011 financial statements and the special report is that the authority's financial position will inevitably remain very challenging in the short to medium term, given the economic downturn and stressed state of the property market from which the Dublin Docklands Development Authority has historically derived its main revenues.

Taking all of these factors into account, the inescapable conclusion is that a stand-alone authority is no longer viable, financially or otherwise. It is for these reasons that the Government decided that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority should be wound up at the end of a transitional period of up to 18 months. A new executive board, chaired by the Dublin city manager, Mr. John Tierney, has been appointed for this transitional period, during which the authority will finalise some important ongoing business which needs to be brought to completion. In parallel with this, the Government will finalise the appropriate arrangements for ensuring a continued, concerted focus on the Dublin docklands initiative.

It is crucial to note in terms of the concerns raised by the Deputies that while the Dublin Docklands Development Authority is to be wound up, the Government remains fully committed to the ambitious and visionary docklands regeneration concept where many opportunities for renewal remain, both on the north and south sides of the River Liffey. For this reason, the decision to wind up the authority should be seen not as an end of the regeneration story but the closing of one chapter which the Government is committed to ensuring will be followed by the opening of a new chapter in the rebirth of this core area of the capital city, as the Deputies correctly noted.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I acknowledge the positive aspects of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, including the educational scholarships and other supports provided for communities on the north and south sides of the River Liffey. While the East Wall district received funding for a community centre, people in the North Wall district, the parish of St. Laurence O'Toole, would respond differently because their district was left without the school it was promised by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. On the other hand, the south side of the River Liffey was not left with the monstrous memorial to the excesses of the Celtic tiger on the North Wall quay, namely, the building that was intended to house Anglo Irish Bank's headquarters. The docklands community had to fight hard for everything it received.

I note the Minister of State did not once refer to the local communities which made up the docklands area, which took second place to speculators and developers at times. Although there are seven places for community representatives on the council, only five of them have been filled as two long-serving community members have not been reappointed. What is the position on these appointments? Representatives of the south side hold three of the five community places, while the north side has only two representatives. The decision to allocate only one place for a community representative on the board must be addressed. I ask the Minister of State to bring these issues to the attention of the Minister.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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While I welcome the Minister of State's statement that further regeneration will be considered, regeneration without social inclusion is meaningless for local communities. Our communities must be reinvigorated and job opportunities provided in local areas. Initiatives taken in the docklands area have been rolled out throughout the city. The senior citizens forum, for example, which started on the south and north sides of the River Liffey has expanded throughout Dublin and plays a positive role.

The docklands area is important not only to the capital but also the country. Growth will come to the area because new companies want to locate in it. We must ensure young people in the area are trained and educated to be able to avail of the opportunities that will arise in the area. This will only be made possible through community involvement which requires us to listen to and invest in the community. The best investment that can be made in the docklands area is in education. It is vital that we have strong community involvement and a focus on education and social regeneration. We must not lose this focus as a result of the abolition of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for the views they expressed, specifically on the importance of education. I note also the statistics provided in this regard. I assure Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan that her comments on the importance of community representation in filling the vacancies on the council will be brought to the attention of the Minister.

I fully understand the decision to wind up the Dublin Docklands Development Authority is a critical one and concur with the Deputies on the importance of placing community involvement and regeneration at the heart of this process. This will make the Dublin docklands a living community and ensure good interaction between those who live and work in the area.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Will the Minister of State revert to us on the possibility of arranging a full debate on the issue?

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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While I presume that is a matter for the Whips, such a debate would make sense. Having matters discussed in committees can also be enlightening as it allows us to extract information from people who may not otherwise volunteer it.