John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The Deputy's essential question is whether it merits further investigation. The answer is "Yes". That is one of the primary reasons I appointed someone who is an expert in corporate governance and who has great expertise in all of these areas, Professor Niamh Brennan, who will be assiduous in examining all of these matters. I agree we must examine them in great detail. Again, I am very familiar with this area, which is close to where I live.

On the Deputy's second question, I welcome the fact that the matter has been referred to the Comptroller and Auditor General and look forward to any findings that emerge from that process because we must have public confidence in this body. It is important to record also, lest we give the wrong impression, that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority has done very good work. The Deputy's colleague, Deputy Phil Hogan, who is a member of the particular committee, which I understand visited the area, said that the area in general had made massive strides when one considers the level of unemployment in the area years ago. He said it was a map similar to many other places throughout the country and that there was a blight there. I recall what the area was like before it was developed. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority has made tremendous strides but that cannot take away from the fact that this particular acquisition must be examined in detail.

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