asked the Minister for the Environment whether he intends providing additional funding for the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission to enable them to carry out their mandate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission.
36.
As already announced, funding of the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission was suspended in the light of the severe budgetary constraints facing the country. Having discussed the matter with the commission and with Dublin Corporation, and to end the uncertainty regarding the role and functioning of the commission vis-à-vis the corporation, I have decided to dissolve the commission with effect from 1 July 1987. This will allow the commission time to complete the preparation of an improvement scheme in accordance with the schedule established by them. I do not, in any event, intend to provide funding for the commission apart from the existing provision of £50,000 to meet liabilities already incurred.
I have impressed on Dublin Corporation the importance which I attach to Dublin city centre in the national context and my desire to see environmental improvements carried out there. The corporation will continue to have special obligations towards the metropolitan central area by virtue of section 2 of the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission Act, 1986, and I intend to keep in close touch with the corporation in regard to the steps proposed by them to comply with these obligations.
Is the Minister now telling the House that the Government propose to abolish the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission entirely and to negative and set aside all the work which has been done within his Department, in this House and in the other House in the enactment of the legislation to establish the commission and that the powers of the commission are being assigned to Dublin Corporation? Is that the situation?
I have had some discussions with the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission and with Dublin Corporation. Following those discussions I felt there was no point in prolonging the matter any further in that the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission indicated to me that they would be in a position to have their plan ready by not later than the end of June. Following receipt of that it is my intention to have further discussions with the corporation with a view to seeking the implementation of that plan as far as possible. I will be dissolving the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission with effect from 1 July.
Am I right in saying that this news has not previously been announced?
That is correct.
Are we to take it then that the specific powers which were assigned by this House to the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission to carry out a special task in the centre of Dublin are now being assigned to Dublin Corporation but without any funding being made available to them to enable them to carry out, if they were so disposed, the work which would be necessary as a result of the preparation of an improvement plan by the commission?
I considered the matter very carefully. The existing statutory authorities, principally Dublin Corporation, have powers to tackle the problems and to implement the necessary improvements and I am satisfied about that. Much of the powers of the commission were paralleled in the planning Acts and are available to Dublin Corporation. I have asked them to take due notice of the fact that it is their primary responsibility to carry out these improvements and they recognise that. I thought it fair of the commission to suggest, when I was speaking to them, that their real concern was to have the improvements carried out. It was not a question of who carried out the work but that the matter would be attended to and I support that point of view.
I have had a very favourable response from Dublin Corporation as a result of my negotiations with them. They are willing to set up a special task force to deal with the matter. Section 2 of the Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission Act places a duty on Dublin Corporation to have regard to the special importance, in the national interest, of the central area of the metropolis and the need to ensure a high environmental standard and a high standard of civic amenity and civic design. I understand they will bring forward a realistic package of proposals to deal with that matter and they will have my full support in doing so. They can be assured of that.
In his reply the Minister suggested that Dublin Corporation previously had the powers which were specifically made available to the streets commission within their remit and yet they did not carry out any of the work which it was envisaged would be carried out by the commission. Does it not then appear rather disingenuous of the Minister to suggest that, by restoring those responsibilities to the corporation without providing any funding to that body, there is even the remotest possibility that the work which the commission were to do and which was so widely welcomed by a variety of groups, from tourism to commerce to business to city centre interests, will be carried out by the corporation? Is it not rather absurd to consider that they will do that work without any funding being provided to them in view of their failure in that regard during previous years?
It is the responsibility of the corporation to deal with this matter.
It is the responsibility of the commission at present.
Of course, but previous to that this matter was, and still is as far as I am concerned, the primary responsibility of the corporation. I agree there is a lot to be done. The Dublin Metropolitan Streets Commission interviewed many people and they have agreed, and it was very fair of them to agree, to pass over to the corporation all the information which they brought together, support they might have, financial support from private involvement and all other documentation, together with the plan of campaign which they will be submitting to me some time during this month. In my dealings with the corporation to date I impressed upon them that I expect them to honour their responsibility in making the centre of Dublin a better and more pleasant environment and I got a very great response from them. They said they would see to it that major improvements are carried out in the centre of the city. I can give an assurance to the Deputy and to the House that it is my intention to follow through on this. I will be really disappointed if, coming into the millennium of the city, major improvements are not carried out in the city centre area over the next number of months and before the millennium starts.
The Deputy will agree he has had a good innings on this question. I want to come to the next question before the time expires.
A final question, please.
Very brief.
In view of the extraordinary move of abolishing a body established by this House as recently as the latter months of last year, does the Minister propose to have time made available in the House to discuss this matter? The abolition of this body can only be considered as a politically vindictive move——
I regret the Deputy introduced this sour note into the discussions which I am having with the streets commission and the corporation. All those consultations have been very pleasant, informative and supportive of the point of view which has been expressed many times by the Deputy, that is that we should improve the city centre area. That is my aim. The Deputy can rest assured that following the discussions with the corporation the task force, which they have agreed, will be established immediately to deal with this matter. They are determined we will all be proud of the improvements of the amenities in the city centre area.
I want to deal with the last question.
I asked if time would be made available for the House to discuss this matter.
I must call the last Priority Question, No. 37. As I said earlier the Deputy has had a very good innings on this question.
We are only starting. This is a political move by the Taoiseach——
Time is running out and we ought to hear the reply to Deputy Quinn's question.