Limerick man steps down as development agency chair
MUNGRET man John Moran is to step down from his role as the the Land Development Agency (LDA) chair.
He had served as the agency’s first chair since January 2019, helping set-up the group which has a remit to provide affordable housing on State land.
One of the most high profile projects the LDA is working on is the redevelopment of 50-hectares around Colbert Station to create a new urban quarter with a mix of residential, health, community and recreational uses.
The process of filling the position on a permanent basis has begun, but Mr. Moran has confirmed he will not be seeking the role, which is due to commence next month.
Mr Moran said: “My term actually expired at the end of January and Darragh O’Brien had asked me to extend until May 1 because he wanted the legislation in the Dail before appointing a new board. He has it reasonably well-advanced at this stage.”
The new chair will serve on a five-year role.
“I wanted to get a few things done before I reached the end of my term, and the extension helped with that. We have the masterplan for Colbert up, and more importantly, the chief executive has agreed he is opening offices in Limerick and Cork. It means an agency that was always at risk of being seen as Dublin-centric has been rebalanced.”
Mr Moran, a former secretary general at the Department of Finance, has just joined the board of Revolut in Ireland, which is hoping to be licensed as an investment firm here.
This is a key reason he is leaving the LDA.
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank John for all his work on behalf of the LDA since his appointment in January 2019. John has played a key role in setting the strategic direction of the LDA, putting in place corporate governance structures for the organisation and overseeing the initial LDA projects and strategic initiatives. He has also performed a vital communications role in highlighting the central role that the LDA will play in delivering and implementing Project Ireland 2040, the Government’s plan to create sustainable communities and help reduce urban sprawl."
"In particular, I would like to note the major contribution that John has made in developing the LDA’s regional city strategies and the various master-planning processes underway in our cities in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. In time, these processes will bear fruit in terms of balanced regional growth in Ireland. I know John is involved in other important initiatives and I wish him well in those ventures” he added.