Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the terms of reference, functions and purpose of the Comhar Sustainable Development Council, the Affordable Homes Partnership, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Board and the Dublin Docklands Development Council; if these agencies are still operational; the reason these functions can not be carried out by his Department; the benefits to the Irish tax-payer gained from the work of these agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35083/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The information requested is as follows:

Comhar Sustainable Development Council

Comhar, Sustainable Development Council, formerly known as Comhar — Sustainable Development Partnership was established in 1999 and remains operational. It is the forum for national consultation and dialogue on all issues relating to sustainable development. Its terms of reference are, briefly, to advance the national agenda for sustainable development, evaluate progress in this regard, assist in devising suitable mechanisms and advising on their implementation.

Comhar is a multi-stakeholder body with a membership representing five major groups in civil society who give their time and expertise free of charge. It is not possible to draw such representation from within a Government Department.

Comhar's 25 members are drawn from five pillars: the State sector, economic sectors, environmental NGOs, social/community NGOs and the professional/academic sector, supported by a Secretariat drawn from my Department and supplemented by contract research/policy analysis staff as the need arises. Comhar's current work programme covers the period 2006-08 and the arrangements for giving effect to a specific commitment in the Programme for Government to establish Comhar as a body within NESDO are under consideration.

The benefit to the taxpayer is in the research, reports, advice, recommendations and information dissemination carried out by Comhar to further society's understanding of the many complex issues involved in implementing sustainable development.

Affordable Homes Partnership

The overall remit of the Affordable Homes Partnership is to bring greater co-ordination and added impetus to the delivery of affordable housing, particularly in the Greater Dublin Area. Its specific functions are set out in the Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) Order 2005 (S.I. No. 383 of 2005), as amended by the Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) Order 2005 (Amendment) Order 2007 (S.I. No. 293 of 2007).

While my Department continues to take a lead role in relation to affordable housing matters nationally, it was considered, having regard to the importance which the Government and the social partners attach to affordable housing, that this partnership model could add further impetus to delivery at local level and it was for that purpose that it was established. The Partnership, which remains operational, has made a valuable contribution in that regard since its establishment in August 2005, both in terms of the direct procurement of affordable housing and in supporting the efforts of local authorities to increase and accelerate delivery.

Dublin Docklands Development Authority & Council

Sections 18, 20 and 21 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997 set out the functions of, respectively, the Authority, the Council and the Executive Board of the Authority. The Authority, which remains operational, is required to secure the social, economic and physical regeneration of the Dublin Docklands Area, and in doing so engages in a range of planning, commercial and developmental activities which would be inappropriate for a Government Department to undertake. There is an obvious benefit to the Exchequer and the economy generally from the substantial development and regeneration that has taken place in the Docklands since 1997, and the consequent increase in commercial activity, provision of financial services and employment. The undoubted success of the Docklands regeneration project is attributable in no small part to the work of the Authority.