Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

It is unfair to suggest I was attempting to keep youth groups out of the agency when youth groups are not even mentioned by the Minister. I am sure she will withdraw that implication when she responds.

The only way to include youth groups and residents groups on the agency is to have two members from the neighbourhood on the agency, one of whom would be a member of a residents group. That is my position. I want to be inclusive and to include all bona fide groups. I want to ensure that the residents groups have a representative on the agency as well there being a second representative from the neighbourhood. My point is as simple as that. This cannot be done by redrafting or narrowing the Bill, as the Minister suggests. However, it can be done if the Minister considers this matter between now and the Bill's arrival in the Seanad. She should make provision to have two people from the neighbourhood on the agency.

I ask that one of the stakeholders on the consultative group, rather than the agency, would be the major community development grouping in the area, the Dublin Inner City Partnership. A range of groups is listed in section 21(2), although it would waste time to mention them all. The Dublin Inner City Partnership should be included in the list of stakeholders. An interesting point in this regard is that I presume the partnership is included in the Fourth Schedule and can nominate people as members of the consultative group, although it cannot be listed as a stakeholder in this section. This does not make sense, no more than the reluctance to consult community development groups, to which I referred.

With respect, the Bill has been messed about and contains a number of conflicting sections. While the Dublin Inner City Partnership can nominate people to go forward for election to the consultative group, as it can under the Bill as worded at present, section 21(2) does not list it or community development groups of any sort in the list of stakeholders. Having listened to the Minister's contributions, I cannot understand why the major community development group in this area, which would have a significant interest in the redevelopment of this site, cannot be considered a stakeholder for the purposes of the consultative group. I ask the Minister to reconsider this before the Bill reaches the Seanad.

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