Vol. 402 No. 3
15 Mr. Byrne asked the Taoiseach if he has considered the report of the committee established to consider the future of the Temple Bar area, Dublin 2; if it is intended to publish the report; if he will outline the main proposals; if it is intended to implement them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Government have considered the report of the Temple Bar Development Committee and have decided that a company, limited by guarantee, on the lines of Dublin Promotions Limited, will be set up with a board including the members of the Temple Bar Development Committee; the new company will be mandated to consult with CIE and to draw up and bring back to Government specific development action proposals in accordance with the Dublin Corporation action plan for Temple Bar and the report of the Temple Bar Development Committee, subject to any appropriate modifications to the action plan agreed between the company and Dublin Corporation as the planning authority; and the proposals will assume that the Government will consider incentives, by way of amendment of section 4 of the Finance Act, 1989, related specifically to development of Temple Bar as a Government flagship project for Dublin European City of Culture 1991, plus associated rates remission, double rent allowances and owner occupier residential allowances as recommended in the report of the Temple Bar Development Committee.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Michael Donnelly, will act as chairman of the board of the new company. He is now making arrangements for the establishment of the company and for setting in train the work it has been mandated to do by Government.
When the Government receive the new company's proposals they will decide quickly on what action to take in developing the Temple Bar area.
Does the Taoiseach intend to publish the report so we can see what proposals the new company are going to pursue?
It will be important to give as much information as possible as we go along.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that the board of the new company should include some elected representatives of the City Council given the importance of the site in terms of its preservation and CIE's proposal that we should have a transportation centre in order to get the buses off the roads?
We have already decided that the Lord Mayor will be chairman.
Will the Taoiseach make his opinion known to the Lord Mayor that there should be public representatives, other than the Lord Mayor, on the board given that the previous Lord Mayor was a member of the Temple Bar Development Committee and that the city councillors have not seen the report and have heard nothing at City Council level? This is hardly the way to proceed given the importance of the site.
The previous Lord Mayor had a lot to do with advancing this project but I will keep the Deputy's point in mind.
