I wish to raise the issue of the way Dublin 8 and Dublin 12 are continually used as dumping grounds for this city's anti-social behaviour and social problems. Earlier in the week, I raised the issue of the lack of education provision in respect of a school in Walkinstown and today I wish to refer to plans to locate another homeless hostel in Dublin 8. To date, there are 12 homeless accommodation units in Dublin 8, compared with only two in Dublin 4. This particular proposal relates to the former St. Nicholas of Myra community centre in the heart of the Liberties. It is planned to convert the latter into a 65-bed hostel for the homeless. In the aftermath of this news, residents in the Liberties plan to protest at 6 o'clock this evening. To date, there are over 600 homeless and addiction services in Dublin 8 and the residents are seriously concerned about such a large concentration in this area in a very densely populated part of the city. This former community centre closed a few years ago due to a lack of funding but there was also the hope that it would be reopened, especially in light of anti-social behaviour in the city and a lack of green space and community space. It is frightening to think that the Dublin City Council thinks it is acceptable to locate another homeless hostel in this part of this city.

Another example of how the constituency of Dublin South Central is used as a dumping ground relates to the 29 modular homes proposed to be built on the Curlew Road site in Drimnagh. This is a one-acre site. I ask Senators to imagine 100 people living together there in the 29 modular homes it is proposed to build without this resulting in an increase in the incidences of anti-social behaviour and social problems in the part of the city to which I refer. Dublin South Central has one of the smallest number of green areas in the city. Most recently, there has been a campaign for the provision of a full size sports pitch in the Liberties area. There is no such facility there and young people who want to play sports have to travel outside the area to play a decent football or Gaelic match This is wrong. The Government needs to do something to give back to young people living there and to give back to the area because it cannot continue to be a dumping ground for anti-social problems in this city. It is not fair.

I wish to raise three items but prior to that I want to comment on the concerns expressed by Senator Ardagh. I hear what she is saying but local government is in place. If local government is not effective in addressing those issues, then this House and the Dáil need to take an interest because this is an issue for local government. If the local council, on which the Senator's party is well represented, is not addressing this issue of concern, then the matter needs to be examined. I do not necessarily think that we can resolve it in the House. That is just a comment. I did not know that the Senator planned to raise that issue and, to be fair and helpful, we need to empower councillors to deliver on the ground for local communities. The Senator is correct to state that and I share many of her concerns.

I will move on to the three issues I wish to raise. There was a current affairs programme shown after the news bulletin on TV3 last night. I do not know if any other Senators saw it but it addressed the issue of the Parole Board and the need for it to be independent. The board is not independent. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Government at some point and ask if there is an intention for the Parole Board to be truly independent. I know my colleague and Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, drafted the heads of legislation in respect of this matter and Fine Gael indicated last year that it would not oppose it. The Leader might consider that.

I ask the Leader to also consider the issue of appointing a planning regulator. There is a Government commitment to bring in a fully independent planning regulator who would be totally independent of An Bord Pleanála, and who would regulate, police and govern planning in this country, particularly in respect of how it is being rolled out and in light of the urgency of the roll-out of critical infrastructure. There is a real need for a planning regulator. I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government at which representatives from An Bord Pleanála appeared. When this issue was raised with them, they said they will have no role in respect of a planning regulator and would actually fall under the remit of the office thereof. The Leader might examine this matter in the context of the legislation and the programme for Government and revert to us on it.

I wish to speak briefly about the regional ports policy. After the performance of the Minister, Deputy Ross, yesterday, I am more perplexed than ever. This matter relates to the regional ports at Drogheda, Waterford, Galway and Dún Laoghaire. Responsibility for the port in Wicklow has been transferred to the relevant local authority. Clearly, the Minister was not able to give any reassurances regarding these matters. I was dumbfounded by the response he read into the record of the House yesterday. Clearly, we need the Minister to return and tell us what is the Government's policy on regional ports and how that will impact on both local authority members and the future corporate governance of these ports.