John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending. I thought he was overly defensive but I do not want to get into a tit-for-tat with him because I want to focus on the Bill. On consultation, if this Bill goes to Committee Stage, as I hope it will, there are many opportunities for consultation through public representatives. It does not end here and did not end before it came in here. This has emerged from consultation with people who feel excluded from the process.

The Minister was concerned that this is a model which people will want to replicate. One of the reasons I have been enthusiastic about it is that I represent a constituency which is not unlike the Minister’s. However, while most people in Ireland have, at some stage, travelled through the Minister's constituency, few have travelled through parts of west Tallaght or north Clondalkin. I would love to see a model like this where a statutory agency was brought in - not just transplanted - to meet the needs of the people in my constituency. I would love to see a Mulvey-like investigation into areas in my constituency and others.

What is wrong with replicating that? One of the lessons we have learned is the cost of not doing it is significant. The Minister is right to be proud of the work of the former Taoiseach, as well as the personal interest he took in this. That was precisely what it was, namely, a personal interest. The Minister should not underestimate the fact that this is his constituency and that, as Minister for Finance, he controls the Government’s purse strings. What happens when he is gone, however? What happens if his successor does not have as a big an interest in Dublin’s north inner city? That is the fundamental question that the Bill is trying to address. It is trying to ensure that for a period of ten years - not forever - that whoever comes and goes, this body will not be subject to the whims, passions and interests of any particular politician but is put on a statutory basis.

Deputies Maureen O'Sullivan, McDonald, Burton, Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny highlighted the flexibility for what needs to be done with the board. They are the experts and have come through this, particularly Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. This is not coming from this side of the House exclusively or from one political party. This has arisen from the community.

Everyone keeps talking about the bad old days and the DDDA. While it did some work, it ran into controversy and I cannot, and will not, defend some of the things it did. However, I attended a function recently at which the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, spoke passionately about the great regeneration taking place in another part of his constituency, namely Grangegorman. That is one of Bertie Ahern's great legacies to the city, but no one ever mentions that. People always talk about the stuff that went wrong. Any city would be proud of what is happening in Grangegorman, which was previously a derelict and run-down site. It is backed up by a statutory agency to ensure it achieves its potential and that development would grace any city. It is a spectacular space and it is only getting better. That is what we want to do under this Bill. We want to ensure that everything is driven by a statutory agency.

A number of issues were raised by colleagues and I would be the first to put my hands up and say that there might be some clumsy language in the Bill. However, it is easy to overcome that. One or two Departments may have been omitted, including the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, but all those issues can be rectified as they are not insurmountable. The geographical area mentioned is much larger. Kieran Mulvey did great work but he is gone. Deputy Enda Kenny took a particular interest in it as Taoiseach, but he is gone. Meanwhile, the Minister does not appreciate fully the importance of his role and the power he has as both Minister for Finance and a Deputy for the constituency. I would love to be the Minister for Finance and in a position to back up commitments for west Tallaght by pulling the purse strings.

The anxiety of the community in this case has been expressed by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. People want to know what can be done to ensure this is not just a passing phase. They want to avoid a situation where those who have invested a great deal of time and interest in this move on and something else takes precedence. The current Taoiseach is not as committed to this as the previous Taoiseach. That is not a criticism. I can see clearly that the Minister for Finance is committed to it but the current Taoiseach has other items on his agenda. In summary and without rehearsing everything again, the fundamental objective of the Bill is to put regeneration on a statutory footing, broaden the area to ensure people are not excluded and to ensure it is driven for a period of ten years. It not just a matter of economic regeneration but of social, educational and welfare improvements for the benefit of the people of this particular area.

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