Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
381. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will explain the operation of Ballymun Regeneration Limited; if he is satisfied with the level of engagement that the company has with the local community, and the way that involvement is monitored [53996/12]
View answerBallymun Regeneration Limited (BRL) was established by Dublin City Council in 1997, under the Companies' Acts, following a Government decision that year to demolish the flat blocks and replace them with standard housing as part of the social and economic regeneration of the area as a whole. BRL’s principal objects are, inter alia, to prepare plans for the redevelopment and regeneration of Ballymun and to act as developer/contractor for the regeneration project. In accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, all contracts procured and entered into by BRL, including services and works contracts, are in the name of the company.
BRL is a company limited by guarantee, and not having a share capital, and is registered with the Companies Registration Office. The company is wholly owned by Dublin City Council; the shareholders of the company consist of seven senior officials of Dublin City Council. The company is overseen by a Board of Directors drawn from the local community, local business interests, representatives of statutory bodies involved in regeneration and elected members and officials of Dublin City Council.
BRL has its own Chief Executive Officer and management structure and is staffed in a number of different ways including through secondment of staff from Dublin City Council and secondments from other local authorities. These secondees remain permanent and pensionable employees of their respective local authorities. The company also recruited a number of fixed-term contract staff directly through open competition. It is a matter for BRL to determine the numbers, duration and terms of individual contracts having regard to work demands and the particular skill-sets required to plan and deliver individual projects.
The Ballymun regeneration project is now moving into the completion phase and all demolition and construction projects are expected to be substantially completed by 2014. In light of this, it is expected that staff numbers will decline in line with the decrease in the overall level of planning and construction activity in Ballymun.
In terms of the consultation and communications process, the emphasis has changed from the initial strategic level consultation with stakeholders, local community groups and residents associations in relation to the development and implementation of the regeneration masterplan to the local level of one-to-one engagement with residents in relation to relocation. Consultation and communication on matters relating to regeneration policy and practice is also facilitated by having local community and public representatives on the Board of BRL.
BRL’s offices are located at the Civic Centre on Main Street and are open to the public from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.00 and 17.00. BRL have a dedicated Communications Team available at their offices to deal with telephone and email queries and also to deal with queries and complaints from members of the public in relation to any matter within its remit.
