Select Committee on Finance and General Affairs debate -
Thursday, 13 Feb 1997

SECTION 16.

Mr. Howlin

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 12, subsection (4), line 28, to delete "The" and substitute "Subject to subsection (3)(b)(ii), the ".

Section 16(4) provides that, while ordinary directors of the executive board may attend meetings of the council, they will not be entitled to vote. This amendment will clarify that this prohibition on voting will not apply to an ordinary director who is appointed by the Minister under section 16(3)(b)(ii) to chair the council due to the office of the chairperson being vacant.

Amendment agreed to.

Chairman

I have received an apology from Deputy McDowell who cannot be here because of an illness in the family. Amendment No. 9 is in the name of Deputy McDowell. Amendment No. 10 is an alternative and amendments Nos. 13, 14, 22 and 28 are related and may be taken together.

Amendment No. 9 not moved.

Mr. Howlin

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 12, subsection (5), lines 33 to 37, to delete paragraph (a) and substitute the following:

"(a) organisations which, in the opinion of the Minister, are concerned with, or are representative of persons engaged in, the promotion or carrying out of social, economic or other development (including employment, education, training and the development of land) in the Dublin Docklands Area,".

Amendments Nos. 9 and 13 are designed to revise the terms of section 16(5) which specifies the three categories under which organisations are to be prescribed for the purpose of selecting candidates for appointment to the council. Section 16(g) specifies the numbers of members who are to be appointed from each of the categories.

In framing this section I was conscious of the need to ensure that its terms should be expressed in a way which allows for a wide range of organisations to be prescribed for the purpose of selecting candidates to the council. This will encompass organisations with a purely local focus as well as those with a wider Dublin or national focus, reflecting the importance of the docklands locally and nationally.

Amendment No. 10 will clarify that employment, educational and training organisations are encompassed by section 16(5)(a). The broad terms of section 16(5) are sufficient to cover all the interests which are explicitly referred to in Deputy McDowell's amendment. Accordingly, to include the widest spectrum of organisations, my amendment is preferable.

In framing the composition of the council to be established under section 16, the Bill seeks to strike an appropriate representational balance between the various interest groups which include State bodies, semi-State bodies, elected and unelected community representatives, businesses and the professions. The council's 25 ordinary members will be drawn from this grouping. There will be two representatives of Departments, five from the semi-State bodies, the Dublin City Manager, five city councillors, eight persons from among the groups I have talked about and four with expertise relevant to the authority's work.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Howlin

I move amendment No. 11:

In page 13, subsection (6)(b), line 9, to delete "Boards".

The reference in section 16(6)(b) to the nominees of CIE, Bord Gáis Éireann and the ESB is inappropriate as the word "board" does not appear in the English translation of Córas Iompair Éireann.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Ryan

I move amendment No. 12:

In page 13, subsection (6)(b), between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following:

"(iv) Dublin Chamber of Commerce,".

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce has proposed many good ideas for the development of Dublin and feels it should be represented on the authority as it would bring great expertise to that body.

Mr. Howlin

Representations were made directly to me from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. However, there are so many business, development and interest groups which feel they have a right to be represented on it, it is difficult to pick out one exclusively and give it that right. As I said, provision is made in section 16(5)(a) for organisations, including the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, to be prescribed and I intend to prescribe them under the regulations as suitable people to nominate, but it would not be appropriate to take them exclusively and put them in the primary legislation. Therefore, I ask the Deputy to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. E. Ryan

Will they be appointed?

Mr. Howlin

They will form one of the lists which I will draw up in the Schedule.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment No. 13 not moved.

Mr. Howlin

I move amendment No. 14:

In page 13, subsection (6)(h), line 35, after "development," to insert "training, education,".

Amendment agreed to.

Question proposed: "That section 16, as amended, stand part of the Bill."

Chairman

This section is about the representation. The Minister is considering the points made by the group in this respect.

Question put and agreed to.