I move amendment No. 1:
In page 4, line 10, after "Taoiseach" to insert "in consultation with the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Alderman and Burgesses of Dublin".
My proposal is that section 3 should read:
Notwithstanding any provision of the Companies Act, 1963 to 1990, the Taoiseach, in consultation with the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Alderman and Burgesses of Dublin, shall appoint the directors of Temple Bar Renewal Limited."
I have listened with great interest to the replies given by the Minister and am grateful for the courteous way he dealt with all points raised during the debate. I was, however, a little mystified that having given very specified figures with regard to 47 projects costing £30 million being completed, 19 projects in progress and 18 at planning stage that the Minister did not give the figure for square feet of residential units created in those areas which I requested. I hope will give me this figure.
I hope that every member of the City Council and the three other members of that council who are here today will support this amendment and that they and the Minister — who is most reasonable — will agree that this is a modest amendment.
Earlier today I welcomed in many ways the development of the Temple Bar area but I bitterly regret the fact that, to a very large extent, this development has been taken out of the hands of the local authority and that the Taoiseach is the sole trustee. I do not object to the involvement of the Government Departments mentioned; my objection is to the extent to which the local authority role in this development has been curtailed. I pay tribute once again to the former Lord Mayors, particularly Senator Haughey, who did what they could to push this Bill along during their tenure of office and to my dear and esteemed colleague, Senator Eoin Ryan, former Chairman of the Planning Committee.