Dublin Docklands Authority : no valuations apparently

hinault

A draft report on the Dublin Docklands Development Authority says there was no formal valuation on the Irish Glass Bottle Site, which was purchased for more than €400m.
The disclosure is made in one of three reports on the authority, which reveals a series of concerns about planning, financial and corporate governance issues.
Minister for Environment John Gormley commissioned the review of the DDDA last year after concerns about its activities.


In the Dáil this morning, Opposition parties called for the publication of the report.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said this report is now in the hands of a journalist and should be laid before the House.
Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin supported the call, saying it is now 'common currency'.
The Tánaiste responded very briefly to calls by the Opposition for publication of the report.
She said: 'It's clear that it is the intention of the Minister for the Environment that there will be a debate and equally that there will be publication of the report as quickly as possible.'

The documents, seen by RTÉ News, also say there is a significant risk of legal action against the State-owned Authority arising from its past planning practices.
The documents say there have been inappropriate planning decisions in the past.
Developer Sean Dunne took a case in 2008 that successfully challenged the decision to give the go-ahead for a new headquarters for Anglo Irish Bank.

A planning report for the Authority now says a substantial number of planning permissions given by the Authority could also be considered non-compliant.
A second report by the new Executive Board says value-for-money considerations were largely absent from the Authority.

The Executive Board said key information was withheld from the current Executive Board of the Authority.

A spokesman for Minister Gormley said the reports were commissioned by him in order to be able to publish them so that all historical events at the DDDA could be brought out into the open.
He said the reports were drawn up by experts on behalf of the new Chair of the Authority, Niamh Brennan.
The spokesman said the reports were completed and submitted to the Minister and the Department last month. He added they were looked at by the Attorney General.
He said the Minister contacted Ms Brennan and the DDDA and the reports were then circulated to former board members and staff for comment and to provide them with the opportunity to respond to issues raised in the reports.
The spokesman said that process is still ongoing.

He said the Minister is expecting some submissions in the very near future from the DDDA in response, which would clear the way for publication.
He said Minister Gormley hopes to be in a position to publish the reports soon but he has to follow proper procedures in order to protect the taxpayer.

This morning, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Bernard Allen said that last September the Committee wrote to Minister Gormley requesting that the PAC be allowed to examine the accounts of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.
He said that Mr Gormley would not accede to that request.
Mr Allen said that the Committee was now writing again to reiterate that request.

hinault

This now crystallises the contamination caused by Anglo Irish Bank and greed.

In the DDA and Anglo, you had directors of both entities on both sides of this deal.
And you have Anglo funding Bernard McNamara and others to purchase this site for an inflated price, upon which there was (apparently) no formal valuation.

What a mess.

gandalf

Well judging from this there will have to be criminal action taken against those in charge of this mess.

Nody

deadtiger wrote: »

Well judging from this there will have to be criminal action taken against those in charge of this mess.

Sure, and then you'll tell me Santa is real as well...

gandalf

Nody wrote: »

Sure, and then you'll tell me Santa is real as well...

He does I saw him in Dundrum Shopping Centre at Christmas, although he did look a bit worried when a 40 year old man sat on his knee

Seriously as I said I am an optimist and I hope for the best but your cynicism is probably well founded.

gurramok

Has anyone been down there to that site?

Heaven knows how it could of been even near a high(without corruption) value in 2006 as its right beside an industrial area that has salination plants, power stations and general ugliness of where one would not live.

And yeh, that disgusting smell from the sewage plant is still there and it gets blown in by onshore breezes to the site.

gandalf

gurramok wrote: »

Has anyone been down there to that site?

Heaven knows how it could of been even near a high(without corruption) value in 2006 as its right beside an industrial area that has salination plants, power stations and general ugliness of where one would not live.

And yeh, that disgusting smell from the sewage plant is still there and it gets blown in by onshore breezes to the site.

But in estate agent language thats called ambience and character

gurramok

deadtiger wrote: »

But in estate agent language thats called ambience and character

I see.

Serious noise issues aside from the toll bridge traffic and the container port across the road is what in estate agents lingo?

Also, I forgot to mention Irishtown recycling centre on the other side of the site, jesus what were they thinking of with this 'new village' on the bottle site?

Yeh, I know the answer..greed:mad:

Nody

gurramok wrote: »

I see.

Serious noise issues aside from the toll bridge traffic and the container port across the road is what in estate agents lingo?

Local character with a unique view of the flow of life blood of Dublin city itself.

Slideshowbob

why is it being reported in media today about the DDDA being liable for the Glass bottle site when its still a pending court case with McNamara?!?