DDDA is playing ‘by the book’

THE Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) said that activities at the organisation were now “by the book” and significant progress has been made in tackling financial challenges.

The DDDA has addressed failures in corporate governance, specifically legacy planning issues, ensuring that its current planning function is fully objective and adjudicative, she said.

It is now working closely with NAMA to ensure a return to the state from lands in the area.

“Failures in corporate governance had led to serious errors at the Docklands Authority,” Professor Brennan told the annual conference of the Society of Chartered Surveyors yesterday.

University of Limerick founding president, Dr Edward Walsh, said a new beginning is called for in terms of a government of national unity, with a prime focus on three areas for economic recovery; competitiveness, talent and tax.

“The addition of 70,000 employees to the public payroll, public sector pay increases and social welfare increases that far exceeded those of our competitors, have resulted in an additional annual pay bill of some €15 billion, a narrow tax base, and an unbalanced budget without precedent,” he said.

“Increasing competitiveness and implementing the necessary reform of national governance and of the public sector can be secured while reducing public expenditure,” he added.

Meanwhile at the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) conference in Cork KBC economist, Austin Hughes said it will likely be the tail end of next year before the European Central Bank (ECB) moves on interest rates.