I raise this matter to give the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation an opportunity to make a statement to the Dáil regarding the uncertainty surrounding the future of the National Conference Centre because of the European Union's reluctance to fund the docklands development. Since the worrying reports surfaced regarding problems with European Union funding, the National Conference Centre problem has worsened with further reports of divisions deepening between the company developing the conference centre and the State body charged with redeveloping Dublin docks and the fears that the project may not go ahead if the dispute is unresolved.
The Sunday Business Post reported on 8 November that the Spencer Dock Development Company may not proceed with the project unless a planning dispute with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority is resolved quickly. Mr. Richard Barrett of the Spencer Dock Development Company was quoted as saying that he would be lodging complaints about the Dublin Dockland Development Authority's handling of the project with the Minister for Finance, the Comptroller and Auditor General, as well as the Committee for Public Accounts on Monday last. I understand that those complaints have been lodged. He is quoted as saying that the future of the centre was now in serious jeopardy because the Dublin Docklands Development Authority had refused to confirm that it will not object to the granting of planning permission for site preparation work, a permission granted by Dublin Corporation last month. He described the situation as completely disastrous and gave the opinion that nobody could do business with the Authority. He also said that they were impeding development in the docklands when they are supposed to be promoting it.
An allegation has been made by Spencer Dock Development Company that the Dublin Dockland Development Authority had asked for a £50 million payment in return for speedy planning permission for the conference centre. If the situation is not resolved and an objection is launched, a further four months delay could elapse before a decision on the site works appeal is given. If that delay occurs, the £25 million funding from the European Union may be lost and that would sound the death knell for the whole project as the centre must be completed by December 2000 to qualify for these funds.
As I said, the dispute between the Spencer Dockland Development Company and the Dublin Dockland Development Authority is one issue but the threat that the European Commission will block tax concessions which were to benefit the site of the planned conference centre project is another issue. Allied to this are media suggestions that senior civil servants within the Department of Finance are unconvinced that the project is commercially viable.
I know the Minister is in the United States, but it is important that the Minister of State makes a statement of clarification assuring us that the Minister is adopting a hands on approach and that he has called together the different parties to ensure that no fatal delays arise in the development of the project.
