Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley.

There is general consensus among relevant Departments and State agencies that the Cork docklands project advanced by Cork City Council is potentially of major significance to the city and in a wider national framework. The council is to be congratulated for articulating an ambitious vision for the regeneration of the docklands, establishing a detailed local planning framework and undertaking various infrastructural and economic studies to support the implementation of this vision.

With an area of more than 160 hectares, contiguous to the city centre, the docklands offer the prospect of developing a modern, mixed-use city quarter. Current plans anticipate that, over a 20-year period, the population of the docklands could increase from 500 at present to some 22,000. This would entail the provision of more than 9,500 residential units, including nearly 2,000 social and affordable units. It is estimated that this regeneration project has the potential to sustain in the region of 27,000 new jobs in retail and financial services, industry, ICT, higher-level educational institutions and leisure and cultural activities.

Development on this scale is the equivalent of placing a large Irish town in a city centre location and it would clearly give Cork further critical mass in terms of its potential to act as a counterpoint to Dublin. For this reason, the regeneration of the docklands is recognised as a priority project under the national development plan, and as an important element in meeting the overall objectives of the national spatial strategy regarding balanced regional development. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to support the transformation of the area.

In recognition of the potential significance of the Cork docklands project, the Government, in December 2007, established the Cork Docklands Development Forum, comprising representatives of relevant Departments, State agencies, local authorities and business and community interests. Essentially, the forum was asked to prioritise the early consideration by, and response of, public bodies to the docklands area plan and promote the effective co-ordination and delivery of public investment in the docklands. The forum submitted its report in early July 2008. Without going into detail, it set out a clear policy and economic rationale for the regeneration project; identified key economic and other drivers essential to the realisation of the vision for the area; identified and costed critical public infrastructure required over the lifetime of the project — up to 2027 at least — to underpin subsequent private investment; considered significant constraints and barriers to the intended redevelopment; considered how this redevelopment might be incentivised; and made recommendations regarding institutional arrangements to bring forward the project. The forum report envisages very significant investment in public infrastructure, in addition to possible support for the relocation of port and other activities.

In the light of current economic and financial circumstances, and as future investment priorities are being determined, the House will appreciate that a report of this nature requires careful consideration. On 23 July, the Government agreed to establish an interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to develop a response to the report. This group will report to the Government very shortly, at which time the appropriate timescale for publication of the report can be considered. While the Minister is aware that the main content of the report was very recently reported in the national press, he does not believe its formal publication at this time would serve a useful purpose.