Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ellis again for raising this matter. It is a matter for Dublin City Council, its members and the public to engage in the public consultation for the development of this site. Deputy McAuliffe, who is beside me, advises that the Taoiseach will be visiting on 11 July and I know from our work in the Department that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is familiar with the site and has visited it before.

On regeneration, the Department has record funding of over €2 billion available for urban regeneration and development in one funding stream in which Dublin City Council has prioritised certain projects to go through the application process. This year another call will come through the Department for that funding stream. We are willing to work with the local Deputies, the county councillors and the local authority to give them any support we can to redevelop the site. These are competitive calls and funding streams that go through the Department and are assessed. The money is there and record levels of funding have been provided. We have committed €1.3 billion already in the last call and we committed €300 million in the call before that. That might be a mechanism the local authority will look at. I am sure that offices higher than mine are on their way to view the site and I look forward to hearing back on that.

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