Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

There is general consensus among relevant Departments and State agencies that the ambitious plan for the regeneration of the Cork docklands advanced by Cork City Council is potentially of major significance both to the city itself and in a wider national framework.

With an area of more than 160 hectares contiguous to the city centre, the docklands offer the prospect of developing a modern, mixed-use city quarter. Current plans anticipate that over a 20-year period, the population of the docklands could increase from 500 at present to approximately 22,000. This would entail the provision of more than 9,500 residential units, including nearly 2,000 social and affordable units. This regeneration project has the potential to sustain approximately 27,000 new jobs in retail and financial services, industry, ICT, higher-level educational institutions and leisure and cultural activities.

Development on this scale is the equivalent of placing a large Irish town in a city centre location and would give Cork further critical mass in terms of its potential to act as a counterpoint to Dublin. For this reason, the regeneration of the docklands is recognised as a priority project under the national development plan and as an important element in meeting the overall objectives of the national spatial strategy regarding balanced regional development. Moreover, there is a clear commitment in the programme for Government to support the transformation of the area.

In recognition of the potential significance of the Cork docklands project, I, on behalf of the Government, established the Cork Docklands Development Forum, comprising representatives of relevant Departments, State agencies, local authorities and business and community interests. The forum's secretariat was based in my former Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Essentially, the forum was asked to prioritise the early consideration by, and response of, public bodies to the docklands area plan and to promote the effective co-ordination and delivery of public investment in the docklands. The backdrop to this was the successful work of the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to get special consideration on the regional aid map for the encouragement of small and medium enterprises and industry in the area.

The forum's report was submitted in July and set out a policy and economic rationale for the regeneration project; identified key economic and other drivers essential to the realisation of the vision for the area; identified and costed critical public infrastructure required over the lifetime of the project, to 2027 at least, to underpin subsequent private investment; considered significant constraints and barriers to the intended redevelopment; considered how this redevelopment might be incentivised; and made recommendations regarding institutional arrangements to bring the project forward.

The forum report envisages highly significant investment in public infrastructure, including the proposed eastern gateway bridge in opening up the south docklands for development, as well as possible support for relocation of port and other activities. In this regard, a new ring-fenced tax incentive scheme will be established to facilitate the removal and relocation of SEVESO-listed industrial facilities that hinder the residential and commercial regeneration of docklands in urban brownfield areas. The EU SEVESO directive seeks to protect public safety by placing land-use restrictions on new residential and commercial development near locations where dangerous substances are stored. Further details will be outlined in the Finance Bill to be published on 20 November. I commend the Minister for Finance on his positive response to this issue, which also will affect other docklands areas. We have been working together to try to move this agenda forward. This scheme is subject to clearance by the European Commission from an EU state aids perspective. However, preliminary work has been undertaken by the forum with the Commission in this regard. The cost of this measure will depend on take-up.

The gateway innovation fund was designed to incentivise joined-up planning and delivery of development initiatives in the national spatial strategy-designated gateway cities and towns, in conjunction with the private sector and complementing other NDP investment. While, in the overall context of budgetary decisions, it has been necessary to defer allocations under the fund for 2009, I recognise the strategic potential of targeted investment for the future to drive and facilitate development and build on the local momentum in the gateways. There is constant engagement with the Minister for Finance and other Ministers with regard to this bridge. As for the agency issue, the forum was clear in this regard. Moreover, this is a national project and the experience of the forum showed the importance of the involvement of a variety of Departments. It ensured acquiescence and inputs from the relevant Departments, including the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; Arts, Sport and Tourism; Finance and so on. It is an important part of the spatial strategy and that is the rationale behind having an agency approach to the development itself.

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