Cross-community structures necessary in Dublin Docklands area - Environment Committee report

22 October 2014

The Committee also calls for a commitment for the Docklands Consultative Forum to promote enterprise, innovation and investment as an essential element in the regeneration of the Docklands area.  This commitment should be provided for either through a provision in primary legislation or by ensuring that this commitment is specifically mentioned and outlined in the terms of reference of the Forum, the Committee said.

Among its other recommendations are:

• Draw up a list of suitable bodies from which five bodies will be selected to nominate individuals to the Docklands Consultative Forum for a given period.  Allow different bodies to act as nominators on an alternate basis.  Specify the nomination rights of these bodies.  This will facilitate the membership of the Forum reflecting the ongoing changing nature of the Docklands area and ensure an ongoing turnover in the membership of the Forum, while at the same time allowing for continuity of service as appropriate.
• Clarify whether the Docklands Consultative Forum, as a standing committee of Dublin City Council, will dissolve at the end of a City Council’s term of office.
• Outline a defined policy initiation and implementation role for the Docklands Consultative Forum and give the Forum the power, as part of its statutory functions, to operate as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the resident and business community in the Docklands area.
• Allow at least 7 community members to be nominated to the Docklands Consultative Forum and nominate these members from the following areas – City Quay, East Wall, Irishtown, North Wall, Pearse Street, Ringsend, and Sheriff Street / Seville Place.
• Take whatever steps are necessary to monitor and enforce the requirement that the Docklands Consultative Forum meets on a regular basis and in doing so ensures a high level of community involvement in its activities.
• Following the dissolution of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and after all its liabilities have been met and subject to there being a surplus remaining, consider the appropriateness of using this surplus if it exists, to establish a central fund to be used for social regenerative purposes by the Docklands Community Trust or by another appropriate body.
• Examine the issue of home owners who have purchased residential properties, through Dublin Docklands Affordable Housing Limited, under an affordable housing scheme in the Docklands area and who are now experiencing negative equity on their homes.  Every effort should be made to identify a fair and achievable solution to this problem.
• Include a clause in planning permission for future developments in the Docklands area compelling those developments to employ 20% of their workforce from the local population.
• Regularly review current and future Master Plans for the Strategic Development Zone.
• Consider having a commitment to a 20% provision of social housing included in the current and future Master Plans for the Docklands area.
• Clarify the future structures and roles of the Docklands Housing Trust and the Docklands Community Trust.  Clarify whether these bodies will be retained, amalgamated or abolished and if abolished clarify what organisation will be responsible for purchasing social housing for members of the local community and for managing and administering funds to community interests in the Docklands area.
• Retain the Annual Docklands Conference and supplement it by spot check sessions throughout the year.

Michael McCarthy TD, Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, said: “The Dublin Docklands area is an historic and integral part of the city of Dublin.  It is an area that has been home to a vibrant local community for many years and the location of various industries including flour milling, glass manufacturing, shipping and textiles.  It has had a long and varied history from times of high employment to times of economic decline, low employment and residents leaving the area to live elsewhere.

Over the years, a number of initiatives have sought to tackle these problems and to reverse the decline, the most recent being the establishment of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in 1997.  Since then, the Authority has served the area well but there have also been a number of difficulties in its functioning and it is for this latter reason that the Government has decided to dissolve it and to transfer its functions to Dublin City Council.  The main objectives of this change are to maintain the area as a prime location for investment and high-value development, to provide appropriate planning procedures, to maintain the involvement of the local community and local business sector and to facilitate job creation.

The Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht has considered the General Scheme of the Bill through which the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government intends to achieve these aims and it has consulted with a wide range of stakeholders concerning it.

This report includes 16 recommendations which we hope the Minister will consider.  We hope he will include as many of these as possible in his plans for the area and that where appropriate, he will include the necessary provisions in the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Bill 2014 and any other Bill as necessary.”

Read the report here:

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Membership of the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht

Deputies: James Bannon TD (Fine Gael); Noel Coonan (Fine Gael) Leas-Chathaoirleach; Ruth Coppinger (Socialist Party); Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD (Fine Gael); Barry Cowen (Fianna Fáil); Robert Dowds (Labour); Michael McCarthy TD (Labour) Cathaoirleach; Peadar Tóibín (Sinn Féin); Tony Mc Loughlin TD (Fine Gael); Michelle Mulherin TD (Fine Gael); Catherine Murphy TD (Independent); Éamonn Maloney TD (Labour); Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD (Fianna Fáil);  Brian Stanley TD (Sinn Féin).

Senators: Senator Cáit Keane (Fine Gael); Senator Denis Landy (Labour); An Seanadóir Fiach Mac Conghail (Neamhspleách); Senator Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael); An Seanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fáil): Senator Ned O’Sullivan (Fianna Fáil)