Dublin Docklands Development Authority

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Irish: Údarás Forbartha Dugthailte Bhaile Átha Cliath) (DDDA) was created by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997 to lead a major project of physical, social and economic regeneration in the East side of Dublin along both banks of the River Liffey. On 31 May 2012 the Irish government announced its intention to wind up the Authority. The full dissolution was due to take place in May 2014 with a plan to phase the organisation into the Docklands Consultative Forum. This plan has been postponed due to disengagement of the DDDA leading up to the dissolution date.

The stated mission of the DDDA was to 'develop the Dublin Docklands into a world-class city quarter paragon of sustainable inner city regeneration - one in which the whole community enjoys the highest standards of access to education, employment, housing and social amenity and which delivers a major contribution to the social and economic prosperity of Dublin and the whole of Ireland'.

The Authority was due to work until 2012 on the development of the area and manage the investment of €7bn from both public and private sources.

The broad remit of The Authority included social regeneration which in practical terms resulted in the building of over 11,000 new homes. They also managed several events each year including the Docklands Fun Run which started from Grand Canal Dock.

Among the more famous projects it was responsible for overseeing were the Spencer Dock development, the Point Village (which ran into financial difficulties and was taken over by NAMA), and the proposed U2 Tower (which was abandoned).

In November 2006, a consortium headed by property developer Bernard McNamara, and including financier Derek Quinlan and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority paid €412m for the 25 acres former Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend in Dublin. However the development never went ahead and the land - which ultimately cost €431 million when the price of acquisition, stamp duty and other costs is included - was valued in 2011 at €45 million. A special report on the DDDA by the Comptroller and Auditor General found that the authority failed to get an independent valuation of the site before committing to the deal, a move which ultimately ended up costing the authority €52 million.

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Wikipedia