Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 5, line 8, after “Docklands” to insert “Oversight and”.

On Committee Stage, various Deputies expressed concern that the successor to the Docklands Council, which is the Docklands Consultative Forum, did not have an oversight role in the future regeneration of the docklands. I recognise that its predecessor, the Docklands Council, was an invaluable conduit for inputs to the authority's policy and work on matters pertaining to this area. It was made up of members from the business community, publicly elected representatives for the area, nominees of bodies and agencies with a remit in docklands and, most crucially, members of representative bodies of residents. The continuation of this level of input will be a vital resource for Dublin City Council in its future stewardship of this part of the city. I was happy to accept the concerns expressed by the Deputies on Committee Stage and, accordingly, I propose via this amendment to recognise the oversight role of the forum by changing the name of the Docklands Consultative Forum to the Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum by amending the Long Title of the Bill. Amendment No. 7 follows the same rationale as that outlined for amendment No. 1. I propose to amend section 37 to reflect the change of the name to the Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum.

With regard to amendments Nos. 14 and 15, when outlining my reasoning for amendments Nos. 1 and 7, I touched on the concerns of local Deputies who wished that the proposed forum for docklands have a broader remit than first envisaged, which I was happy to accommodate. The amendments to section 49 will further strengthen that commitment. Amendment No. 14 clarifies that the title of the annual report of the Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum may be referenced as the "DOCF annual report". Amendment No. 15 proposes to amend the previous provision under the Bill to now require that the annual report is submitted to the Minister and, thereafter, laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, instead of the report just being submitted to Dublin City Council. This ensures a further level of oversight while also opening up the work of the forum to the scrutiny of both Houses. I am happy to facilitate the future work of the forum in this manner. I propose that amendments Nos. 1, 7, 14 and 15 be accepted.

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