The Minister for the Environment has said he is not in a position to make a final decision on whether the Dublin Docklands Authority should be brought under the aegis of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Tonight, in a private members motion, Fine Gael called for the Authority to be made accountable by bringing it under the supervision of the C&AG and have it report to the Dail Public Accounts Committee.
Minister Gormley said he was not against the idea of a more formal role by the C&AG in overseeing the work of the Authority but he said the C&AG is only obliged to oversee bodies getting more than half its funding from the Exchequer, which was not the case with the DDDA.
Fine Gael Deputy Phil Hogan described the Authority's approach to planning as being akin to a ‘mad version of the housekeeper in Father Ted’. He said it was all 'go on, go on, go on.'
Deputy Hogan said the Docklands’ huge debt was going to be flushed down the tubes.
He said it was established with noble objectives but all we were left with was a group of 'big boys with vested interests getting away scot free'.
Phil Hogan pointed out that the majority of the debt was accounted for by one State body, Anglo Irish Bank, which was now being passed onto another State body, NAMA, which would ultimately end up being shouldered by the taxpayer.
Labour TD Joanna Tuffy said there were perceived conflicts of interest in decisions made at a board level on the Docklands Authority.
She said an independent investigation would help clear the air and benefit the authority in restoring public confidence.
She said people trust the C&AG and such an inspection in relation to the DDDA would be worthwhile.
