Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Transport when his attention was drawn to the arrangement being entered into without public or tendering process by the Dublin Port Company with a private consortium (details supplied) relating to over 30 acres of Dublin Port Company lands; when a request for ministerial approval was received; the number of times the transaction was referred by him to the Attorney General; the dates various advices were received from the Attorney General; his views on whether the arrangement entered into by the Dublin Port Company was entirely inappropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6207/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, responsibility for Dublin Port Company transferred from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to my Department on 1 January 2006. Dublin Port Company's involvement in the national conference centre competition was first mentioned in July 2004 in the chairman's interim report for the six months to end June 2004 to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The report briefly outlined that the company was party to one of the bids in the national conference centre competition. No request for ministerial consent or approval was initiated at that time.

On 18 May 2005, Dublin Port Company wrote to the then responsible Minister, Deputy Gallagher, seeking ministerial approval to enter into an arrangement with the Anna Livia consortium, as detailed in draft heads of terms enclosed with the letter. The proposed arrangement was that in the event that the consortium was successful in the national conference centre competition, and subject to the Minister's consent, Dublin Port Company would make a site available to facilitate the consortium's proposal for a national conference centre.

The company's request for ministerial approval was referred for advice to the Attorney General's office. The reply of 12 October 2005 from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and my reply of 1 February 2006 to related parliamentary questions set out the dates on which the advice of the Attorney General was received.

Following approval by the Government, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, announced on 16 November 2005 that Spencer Dock international conference centre consortium was being invited to become the provisional preferred tenderer for the provision of a national conference centre in Dublin. I understand negotiations are still underway with that consortium.

In light of this announcement, the ministerial approval requested by Dublin Port Company on 18 May 2005 is not required at this time. However, in light of the latest advice from the Attorney General of 6 January 2006, as referred to in my reply of 1 February 2006, a response to the company's letter of 18 May 2005 is currently being considered.