Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Fianna Fáil supports the dissolution of the DDDA. The DDDA was initially established in 1997 with an important remit, to be the lead driver of regeneration in the Dublin docklands area. The decision to abolish the authority was announced by the former Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, former Deputy Phil Hogan, in May 2012 after the Comptroller and Auditor General found serious shortcomings in the conduct of its planning and development functions, specifically the authority's purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site in 2006. The dissolution of the DDDA, including the transfer of assets, liabilities, rights and contracts to Dublin City Council has been ongoing since 2012, with most of that process now completed. This Bill recognises the formal dissolution of the authority.

The decision to designate the 66 hectare docklands area as a special planning zone has been a success overall. The area has become part of the central business district in Dublin city and an engine of growth for the greater Dublin area. While the docklands area has huge potential for commercial and residential development, due to policy failures by this Government and others residential units are not being built at the rate that is required to meet the massive demand for housing in the core city centre area. The special planning powers for the docklands need to be backed up by real action by the Government to revitalise construction in the area. Fianna Fáil welcomes the fact that fast-track planning powers have been retained for the docklands which will allow Dublin City Council to grant development permission that cannot be appealed to An Bord Pleanála. The docklands, having been designated a strategic zone, has enormous potential. Up to 2,600 new homes and up to 350,000 square metres of commercial space could be built. It is essential that the area is developed further as an engine of growth in the city.

While we welcome the dissolution of the DDDA, its role in resolving fire safety issues at the Longboat Quay complex must be subsumed by Dublin City Council. We believe that until an agreement can be reached between the residents and DDDA and costs recouped from the receivership process, Dublin City Council should meet the up front expenses required to keep the residents in their homes, including the costs of remedial works estimated to be in the region of €4 million.

Fianna Fáil will support this Bill.