asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the steps that have been taken by the IDA to provide an industrial cluster at the site available from Dublin Corporation at Lower Gardiner St./Sean McDermott St. in Dublin's inner city.
2.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Inner City Industrial Cluster.
1.
asked the Minister for Industry and Energy the present position in regard to the provision of a small industrial cluster at a site in the Seán McDermott Street area of Dublin city; and the reason for the delay in this project.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.
I am informed by the Industrial Development Authority that the terms under which the site at Lower Gardiner Street/Sean McDermott Street would be acquired by the Authority are the subject of current negotiations between the Authority and Dublin Corporation. No work on the development of the cluster can take place until agreement has been reached between the parties and the current open space zoning has been amended to allow for industrial development.
The Minister's reply indicates the crux of the matter which is that the negotiations have been going on for some time. Does the Minister accept that a project of this nature which has all-party agreement in the constituency should not be held up by red tape and wrangling between the IDA and Dublin Corporation? Will the Minister use his good offices to ensure that the matter is expedited immediately?
I will but the IDA were established as a body having a considerable measure of independence in making decisions and judgments as to what they should pay for a particular site, as were Dublin Corporation. Both have a job to do and it happens that they do not agree on the terms in this instance. I do not want to become involved in the details of the discussions because I am not as familiar with them as are the IDA. The disagreements which exist are genuine and are not to obstruct progress. The Deputy asked me to use my good offices with the IDA and I will.
Is the Minister aware that some time ago Dublin Corporation offered to the IDA two alternative sites for this cluster to which Dublin Corporation could not make title? Is he aware that there was considerable opposition at official level within Dublin Corporation to the provision of the site which is the subject of these two questions? Will the Minister take account of this in instructing the IDA to have regard to the attitude they may be confronted with in their negotiations with Dublin Corporation and to have regard to the fact that in this area the level of unemployment is considerably higher than in any other part of the country, urban or rural? The urgent necessity of providing assistance of this kind by way of an industrial cluster is such that I ask the Minister to ask the IDA to take a very special view of the problems here. If necessary, if agreement cannot be reached between the two bodies will the Minister take the initiative——
A question, please, Deputy.
I am asking a number of questions. Could the Minister take the initiative in suggesting some form of acceptable arbitration which might arrive at a figure acceptable to both parties?
The alleged attitude of officials in Dublin Corporation is not a matter for me or the IDA if such an attitude, as described by the Deputy, exists. It would be a matter for Dublin Corporation some members of which are on the other side of the House.
Some of them are behind the Minister.
They might be able to use their good offices in this regard. As far as the IDA are concerned they cannot take account of this. I have indicated that I will use my good offices with them to have any needless delay on their part removed. As I said in response to the first suplementary, the IDA have statutory responsibility to exercise independently in this kind of matter. It would not be good precedent for me, as I am sure Deputy Colley will appreciate from his own experience, to interfere with their judgment without very good cause.
The Minister's party have a majority in Dublin Corporation. The people on this side are doing their best to expedite the matter. Where are the delays? Is it a question of money with the IDA? If it is, the Minister would have a certain influence with the IDA. There is all-party agreement about the need for industry in this area and I am sure the Minister agrees with that. There is a 54 per cent unemployment rate in the area. It is the highest in the country and I know the Minister will use his best efforts to expedite this matter.
I already indicated in response to the initial question by Deputies Gregory and Colley that the two matters in dispute between the parties are agreement as to price and the matter regarding current open space zoning of the area. Both of these are substantial matters and they are not something which can be swept aside just like that. I appreciate what the Deputy said and I am sure other Deputies share his sentiment about the serious unemployment in the area. I repeat for the third time that I will use my good offices with the IDA to ensure that they do, so far as they can, a speeding up job on this matter. I hope all Deputies in Dublin Corporation will do the equivalent on their side.
I now call on Deputy Reynolds. Does Deputy Woods want to ask a question after that?
I will wait to hear what question Deputy Reynolds asks.
I will then call on Deputy Gregory for a final supplementary, agus sin sin.
When the Minister pleads that the IDA have such independence under legislation and so on will he cast his mind back to the night when there was a Private Member's motion in his party's name, aided and abetted by the Labour Party——
That was concluded by a vote and is over and done with.
They instructed the Government of the day to instruct the IDA to carry out certain things in relation to Fieldcrest in Kilkenny. In view of that, the very high unemployment in the area and the goodwill expressed on all sides, would the Minister consider calling into his office the officials of Dublin Corporation and the IDA and have the matter resolved within the four walls of his office? I am certain he is quite capable of doing that. It would give an opportunity to small industrialists to avail of the new tax incentive of 60 per cent in Dublin's inner city. Would he be prepared to do that?
I would not rule that out. The measures I have indicated that I am prepared to take initially are more appropriate at this stage, Every time there is a disagreement between two statutory bodies we cannot have a ministerial arbitrator appointed who calls them all into his office. If that was the practice no agreement would ever be reached with anybody. Deputy Reynolds, from his wide experience as a hard-working Minister, knows that the burdens that would result for Ministers would be intolerable and decisions would not be taken. The Deputy did not do it when he was there, but that is by the way.
Will the Minister give this matter the high degree of priority and sense of urgency which it requires? Not only has the area the highest level of unemployment but it is also an area with a tremendous level of destruction and vandalism generally.
That is a statement.
I am not convinced from the Minister's statement that he is giving this matter the degree of urgency it deserves.
The Deputy can raise this matter in another way.
I am asking the Minister if he will give a sense of urgency to this very major problem which the Deputy sitting behind him, Deputy Keating, appreciates because he is involved in the area.
With the utmost respect, Sir, I have already answered that.
We have spent ten minutes on two questions.
The reasons Deputies are particularly anxious that this matter should be resolved is——
A question please, Deputy.
I am leading into it.
The lead-in can be longer than the question.
This problem has been dragging on for quite a long time and all parties are agreed that it should be resolved as quickly as possible. I had intended asking the Minister, if this continues to be the case and there is no speedy resolution of the problem, if he would act as mediator, and he has answered that question but would he agree to meet a deputation from all parties and the local community to report progress to them over the next couple of weeks?
To receive a deputation in that circumstance would suggest that it was I who was conducting the negotiations. The fact is that it is the IDA and Dublin Corporation, the statutory bodies given responsibility in this area, who are conducting the negotiations.
Perhaps the most appropriate step to be taken by the Deputies concerned would be for them to invite the IDA and Dublin Corporation to meet with them to discuss the matter. I have said already in response to Deputy Reynolds that, in the final analysis, if none of these measures, including my own good offices, succeed I am prepared to consider even the extreme step of acting as a mediator, although I would be reluctant to do so. I have gone as far as possible in response to what I recognise as a genuine concern on all sides.