Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on correspondence (details supplied) on the Grangegorman Development Agency Bill; and if the maximum support and assistance will be given to the Dublin inner city partnership on this issue. [4007/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Dáil Select Committee on Education and Science concluded Committee Stage of the Grangegorman Development Agency Bill on 16 December 2004. The purpose of this Bill is to establish an agency whose function, in the first instance, is to prepare a strategic planning scheme for the Grangegorman site. The plan must provide for the needs of the Dublin Institute of Technology, the Health Service Executive and the Ministers for Education and Science and Health and Children. The Bill provides for wide-ranging consultation with all the parties that may have an involvement in the site. This ranges from those who are directly concerned, including local residents, DIT, Health Service Executive and Dublin City Council, to those parties whose future involvement may have a bearing on the site reaching its full potential such as IDA Ireland and Dublin Bus. The Department of Transport will also have a major input because of the public transport requirements of the developed site. In addition the Bill provides for a local resident to be nominated to the agency.

While the legislation concerns the development of the site at Grangegorman as an educational and health facility, provision has been made to facilitate consultation, participation and involvement of the local community in the development of the site. I am satisfied that adequate provision has been made for consultation with all relevant interested parties and to make provision for one such party above the interests of all others would be counter-productive in the context of the development of the site.