High-profile civil servant Robert Watt is set to become the head of the body tasked with rejuvenating Dublin city centre.
The Secretary General of the Department of Health's current contract is due to expire shortly and it is expected he will move to the Department of Housing and Local Government.
It is understood this will pave the way for his appointment later this year to head up the Special Purpose Vehicle that is being established to improve the capital's core following the recommendations of the Dublin City Taskforce.
The taskforce was established by then-Taoiseach Simon Harris in 2024 following concerns raised about the security and condition of Dublin city centre in the wake of the riots in November 2023 and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is understood the Chair of the Taskforce, An Post CEO David Mc Redmond will have a role as chairman of the body.
The redevelopment of the GPO and the O'Connell Street area, the conversion of derelict sites into homes for key workers and the delivery of major projects such as the Parnell Cultural quarter and a regenerated fruit and vegetable market in Smithfield are among the projects expected to come under the remit of the new entity.
Earlier this year, Dublin City Council said it would need initial funding of €114 million euro from central government to kickstart the project but that the implementation of the full taskforce programme could cost up to one billion euro.
