Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Bill deals with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority which will come under the remit of Dublin City Council. In the past, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority did good work. It was set up originally to secure the social and economic regeneration of the docklands area on a sustainable basis and to secure improvements in the physical environment. We only have to walk around the area to see the good work the authority has done. It has been very successful in fulfilling its remit. It was a self-financing body until it was struck down. Resources generated through its property development activity have been reinvested in the physical, social and economic renewal of the area. However, as the economic downturn came and the property market came under stress, the authority, in common with many others, came under significant strain. The Minister called the episode involving the glass bottle site a fiasco.There is no other word but fiasco to describe the purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site by the DDDA. The way it was handled left a lot to be desired.

It has now been decided that the further development of the area would be better addressed in the wider context of the development of the city as a whole. Therefore, the Government has decided to wind up the authority and transfer its functions to Dublin City Council which will guide the future development of the area. The Bill also provides for the establishment of a consultative forum on a statutory basis to ensure that the views of all interested parties are recognised in the future. The Minister of State outlined the make up of the consultative forum, which will have 21 members. There will be four local authority members, five members from public authorities and I believe the Minister of State said there would be two community members, which is important. Input from the local community is essential, especially given that there will be more than 6,000 new residential units in the area in the coming years. The SDZ fast tracking system has been in place for the last 12 months which will see more development coming on stream soon.

On the issue of the transfer of assets and liabilities, the Minister of State said that she does not foresee any need for Exchequer intervention. However, when an entity is given responsibility, it must have the wherewithal to do what it wants with it. The aim is that the development of the area will be self-financing. Section 9 transfers the assets and liabilities to the local authority. Any future claims against the former DDDA will now transfer to the council. Has there been any evaluation of outstanding claims or what might be coming down the track? I am concerned to ensure that Dublin City Council will not find itself in a situation where it has to use its own funds to deal with any such claims. I presume that any claims against the DDDA that have not been settled on the date of dissolution will also transfer to Dublin City Council. I welcome the transfer of the property assets of the DDDA to the local authority. The original planning scheme for the area has been shelved but the SDZ status has been retained and the council is best placed to develop the area.

The final accounts and report of the DDDA will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The council is charged with preparing the final accounts within 12 months of the dissolution and submitting them to the Comptroller and Auditor General and to these Houses. Is it just the docklands section of Dublin City Council that will prepare those accounts or is it the responsibility of the entire council? Every member of Dublin City Council should have an input into that process.

The Minister of State made reference to the cultural richness of the docklands and the importance of maintaining and actively promoting that aspect and I am sure that will be one of the priorities of Dublin City Council. One thinks of Molly Malone, cockles and mussels, the fishing industry and industry generally in the context of the docklands and these should be celebrated by way of museums and other attractions. Local enterprise is also important in the docklands area, as the Minister of State pointed out.