Richard Boyd Barrett questions secrecy over Dun Laoghaire terminal

My question relates to the former Stenna Terminal in Dun Laoghaire Harbour and the moves by the Council to develop some sort of new enterprise down there but the problem is that the elected representatives both in the Council, myself and indeed the wider public have no clue as to how this expressions of interest process was set up, how the Council decided to pick a preferred bidder and what criteria they excluded some and included others and no public consultation as to how all of this will contribute to enhancing Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a public community. So I'm hoping you might be able to enlighten us as to what the hell is going on in Dun Laoghaire Harbour because the people in Dun Laoghaire don't know and I may not be able to do that deputy and I'll tell you why. I am aware of the proposals that the deputy is referring to which I understand is being led by the Dun Laoghaire-Yatdown local authority and I welcome the development of supporting infrastructure for enterprise development for any quarter. The development in this case does not fall under the jurisdiction of this department and the reason for that is very simple. You ask what do we know about it? No application up to now has been made by the department. So it will be folly of me to give you a detailed analysis as to what is happening with that particular department. Speaking to my officials today, they say that they have had no application whatsoever led by Dun Laoghaire-Yatdown local authority. You might be aware that Minister Humphreys has made available three successive rounds of funding under the department's regional enterprise development fund and that was 105 million euro which is aimed at supporting the development and implementation and collaboration of innovative projects that can sustain and add to the employment at county, regional and national level. Applicants to this fund must be designated by a designated activity company which is DAC or a company limited of guaranteed CLG and I'll explain that if you want me in a few minutes. To date Dublin has received 9.3 million funding through Calls 1 and Call 2 of the REDF. The most recent third round of 45 million Call 3 of the REDF has recently closed and applications are currently being evaluated. Minister Humphreys will announce the successful projects on conclusion of the evaluation process in due course. Should the government through Enterprise Ireland be in a position to launch further funds of the REDF, the project promoters in this case may wish to consider applying for this competitive funding project to their meeting, of course, the criteria laid down, the eligible criteria laid down for participation. Minister Humphreys has also launched the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan last February with strategic objectives focused on availability of skills and talents, increasing enterprise engagement and research development and innovation, building a pipeline of sustainable start-ups, enhancing the attractiveness of Dublin as a place to live and, of course, invest. I'd be delighted to know that there might be funds available in the Regent Development Fund from your Department Minister. What I find an absolute mystery is that Dun Laoghaera at Down County Council have decided on a preferred bidder to set up a new enterprise in this absolutely central location in the middle of Dun Laoghaera Harbour and they haven't even talked to you about it. But there couldn't be a more important site in the middle of Dunleary. They won't tell the councillors about it, they won't tell the TDs about it, the public needless to say are completely kept in the dark even though this is a site which is in public ownership. But we discovered yesterday that they have decided they've got a preferred bidder who are a crowd called Lapitus Investments, headed up by somebody called Hilary Hayden. I took the trouble to go online and see who are these people and they have an address in an accountancy firm in Eamonn Street. But that's all you can find out about them. And they have now been given the green light by the executive, the unelected executive of the Dunleary-Ratdown County Council to take over the centre of Dunleary Harbour. I mean it's just unbelievable and you don't know about it. Now I'm not blaming you for that Minister but it's just shocking that this could be done. And no interest, no engagement at all with the public as to what they might like in their harbour, in their town. Thank you Deputy. Minister Halligan please. Deputy again, this development is referred to by yourself as one that's been led by the local authority in Dunleary. So it is therefore not under, if you like, my department's remit. And I have to be quite frank with you that both the Minister and myself have not been given any sustainable information or substantial information on that development. As I said, the department's regional enterprise development fund was made available of £105 million in competitive funding to stimulate enterprise growth and job creation in Ireland, including the Dublin region. But look, I think that it's up to the councillors in the region, it's up to the local authority of Dunleary to make contact with the department. Because I can ramble on here with a load of information to give you about Dublin and what's been involved. But it isn't under my department remit. I've been told by the officials that no application has been made to the department. So it is almost impossible for us to comment on the very important issue that you do bring up regarding that site. I think it should be a matter of concern to the government that a very important site that is of huge value to the people of the area, that certainly could generate significant employment and benefit to the area, but that the unelected executive are making decisions without reference to anybody. Right? And I can't get information here. The councillors in this email are told that we've picked a preferred bidder, but sorry, we can't tell you who it is. Or sorry, we can't tell you, yes, who it is. Who is the bidder until such time as all negotiations will complete? So we'll tell you after we make the decision and after contracts are signed. And I'm aware that at least five other expressions of interest were put in from other companies and they were just dismissed by the executive of the council. Again, without any democratic discussion with you, clearly, or with the council. I mean, that's just not a way to do business with public property. And when we're talking about, you know, in the case of Dun Laoghaire, a place beloved and absolutely critical to the future of Dun Laoghaire, a place where people do have desires for things like a national maritime and marine sports centre, for things like a diaspora museum, and for employment opportunities that will genuinely benefit the town, but not a sort of mystery development where nobody has any knowledge or any say in what the hell is going on in our town and our harbour. Minister, your final reply. You know, I have to say this to you, that we are aware of the proposals. That's all we're aware of. And we understand again, as I said in my initial response to you, that this has been led by the Dun Laoghaire rat down local authority. And I would imagine, being on a local authority myself like you were over a long number of years, that that would be the authority to, if you feel that there's something not right, that it would be up to the councillors on that authority to hold people to account on it. And it would be up, it would be up, but it would also be up to the Dun Laoghaire authority to make contact with this department on the relevant issues if they felt that was necessary. I mean, to be quite frank with you, you and I have sat on councils where applications come in consistently that are not referred to the Department of Jobs and Enterprise on many occasions. So again, I will give a commitment to you that we will investigate this to the best of our ability and come back there. If I say we will do that, we will do that. But right now, as that application stands and as that position stands, that remit is not within, it's not within our remit in jobs and enterprise. Thank you, Minister. That concludes questions two. Thank you, Minister. That concludes questions two.