Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I wish to make some brief comments on one of the urban docklands areas, Cork docklands. While I welcome some of what the Minister has done in the Finance Bill regarding Seveso sites, he has not gone far enough. I say that for a number of reasons. The Cork docklands regeneration project is of particular importance not just to Cork but to the region. Cork docklands is a pivotal part of the national spatial strategy's gateway innovation fund. However, it has received lip service from the Government.

Prior to the last general election promises were made about the delivery of the eastern gateway bridge and putting various funding mechanisms in place, but nothing has happened. I welcome the Seveso sites initiative because 77% of the land in the Cork docklands area is frozen at present. It requires a major amount of work. Land must be levelled, Seveso sites must be removed and businesses must be relocated. However, the landowners and Cork City Council, which are the stakeholders, are at an impasse. There has not been a clear and unambiguous commitment to fund the gateway bridge. The programme launched yesterday and this Finance Bill were two vehicles in which a commitment to that bridge could have been met. I readily accept that the Seveso site tax incentive scheme announced in the budget will assist part of the process, and I welcome that.

A second major piece of the jigsaw to instill confidence in developers was the funding of the eastern gateway bridge. The Government has kicked to touch on that. The section of the Bill dealing with relocation schemes and Seveso sites covers part of it but it is rhetoric if there is no action. Why is there a failure on the part of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to publish the Cork docklands report? That started in the Department of the iar-Taoiseach. He established a forum but when the Government changed, the issue was moved to another Minister. I am disappointed the Green Party Members are not present because the Minister, Deputy John Gormley, has had the report since last summer but we have heard nothing about it. Why is he afraid to publish the report? Surely it could have been published in tandem with the budget and this Bill.

On 9 October last I raised this issue on the Adjournment of the Seanad and the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey, replied on behalf of the Minister. He said: "While the Minister is aware that the main content of the report was recently reported in the national press, he does not believe its formal publication at this time would serve a useful purpose." Why is that the case? If section 41 is implemented and if land in Cork is changed and upgraded in this major project, it will free 160 hectares in the city centre, create thousands of jobs and accommodate new industry. It could very well become the regeneration project for Cork just as Dublin docklands was for Dublin. The forum report was leaked and an initiative in Cork City Council for a regeneration agency is being mentioned.

There is much in section 41 to be commended. However, parts of it are vague and do not go far enough. Where is the report? Where is the commitment to the gateway funding for the bridge? Two years later why is there a failure to provide a full line commitment to the people of Cork?