Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister, Deputy Gormley, indicated last night, the Government is firmly committed to ensuring that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, like all State bodies, should be subject to highest standards of corporate governance and review. Since the authority's chair assumed her role in March of this year, she has undertaken a fundamental review of procedures and processes within the authority and is currently finalising two major reports on corporate governance for the Minister.

In that context, I would reiterate the Government's position that consideration of this Private Members' Bill is premature. A decision as to whether the governance and reporting arrangements of the authority should be changed, for example, whether to bring it within the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General, should be informed by, and not pre-empt, the extensive work that is already underway.

In framing our response to the chair's corporate governance reviews, which I believe are due to be submitted to the Minister later this month, the Government will also have to weigh up whether it would be appropriate or feasible for the Comptroller and Auditor General to have such an auditing role, given that the authority has generally been self-funding and that the Comptroller and Auditor General's role specifically applies to bodies which receive at least 50% of their funds in a particular year from the Exchequer. The House should, nonetheless, be heartened by the Minister's commitment to keeping this matter under review when he is considering what action and measures will be taken to address these reports.

I endorse the Minister, Deputy Gormley's, assertion, and that of many colleagues on both sides of the House, that the future focus of the authority must be on its key regeneration functions. As Minister of State responsible for housing and urban renewal, I have long had an interest in the extensive regeneration initiatives undertaken in the Docklands area over the past few years. When I gave the keynote address at the seventh annual Dublin Docklands social regeneration conference earlier this year, I was struck by the scale of the achievements over the past ten years and the tangible, positive impact that the regeneration programme has had on the lives of its citizens through access to services and education, to community facilities and to better housing.

Many of the social regeneration initiatives have been implemented by the docklands community leaders, in partnership with the authority, which has set standards for similar initiatives in other parts of the country. This is particularly true in regard to the 20% social and affordable housing initiative and the widespread use of community consultative fora.

Many Deputies have highlighted that the mistakes and miscalculations in regard to the authority's business and investment practices must not be allowed to adversely impact on the docklands and local residents who are paying the price for the behaviour of others. I agree the authority must restore the confidence of its key stakeholders - the local communities in the docklands, those who work there and the general public - as well as the confidence of the Government and the House. While the authority has had to scale back many of its activities in these financially constrained times, it has rightly recognised that it must strive as far as possible to continue the great community and education work and maintain the outstanding results that have already been achieved.

Transparency and accountability are cornerstones to restoring this trust. I am confident that the Minister and the Government will take the necessary steps quickly and decisively to address the concerns raised in the House during this debate. However, for the reasons I have outlined, the Government cannot at this stage accept the provisions of this Bill.

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