Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I am glad of the opportunity to raise this serious issue. An Bord Pleanála recently decided to designate the infill of 52 acres in Dublin Bay as a strategic infrastructure. This means that it can proceed to planning permission without going to Dublin City Council. It will go straight to the board for a decision, so it cuts out the entire democratic element of the decision process. This is disturbing for several reasons, one of which is that the Government decided that Dublin City Council should draft a development plan for what should happen in the bay. That role was given to the council under the Planning Act 2000 and it is in the middle of preparing that document.

The document would balance all the different interests, including commercial, port, community and amenity. It was going to be a vital document that would balance such interests, instead of which we have a wholly owned State company seeking to pre-empt a Government decision giving this authority to Dublin City Council. It is unacceptable and shows the lack of joined-up thinking within Government, which allows agencies to paddle their own canoe. It has happened at a time when it is pre-empting the Government's own decision to have a review of the most appropriate location for future port capacity.

The Government indicated that it will deliberate on this matter and make decisions. It recently indicated that it sees potential in Bremore Port and has sanctioned development there. It is wrong to move in this way before the Government has made its strategy clear, thus pre-empting important decisions. The Government indicated in the programme for Government that it will establish a task force for the protection of Dublin Bay to maximise its potential for the citizens of Dublin and that it will consider legislation if necessary to deliver that. However, we clearly now have a pre-emptive move by a wholly-owned State company to prevent the Government from doing what it has set out in the programme for Government. This undermines a democratic process that was decided upon by the Government.

It also undermines State policy on picking the most appropriate location. The Government should decide policy directions, rather than allowing individual agencies in pursuit of their own commercial interests, which is what is at stake here, to scuttle Government policy. Like many others, I am content to allow the process the Government has agreed upon to take its natural course. We will live with the outcome as best we can, regardless of whether people are happy with it. We need some joined-up thinking in Government whereby one can start to put teeth behind one's own intention.

My worry is that we will sleep-walk through this issue. A strategic planning application will go to the board, a decision will be made and the Government will be caught flat-footed because the task force for Dublin Bay still has not been established, the strategic plan for ports has not been decided and Dublin City Council's development plan is totally frustrated. That is not joined-up thinking. The Minister of State should say what the Government's strategy is so that we can obtain a proper balance and achieve a fair method of making this decision.

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