New Dublin regeneration role for Robert Watt is secondment with no competitive process

The Irish government has confirmed the appointment of Robert Watt, former secretary general of the Department of Health, to the newly created role of Dublin's regeneration “tsar.” This high-profile position, carrying an annual salary of €280,000, will see Watt lead the Dublin City Regeneration Authority, a special purpose vehicle tasked with implementing the findings of a recent Dublin city taskforce. The authority will focus on addressing vacancy and dereliction, and revitalizing key areas such as O’Connell Street and Moore Street.

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The Government has confirmed that there was no competitive process for the role of Dublin’s regeneration “tsar” to which former civil servant Robert Watt has been appointed at an annual salary of €280,000.

Significantly, the appointment was made via a secondment from the Department of Housing, meaning there was no competitive process. This has drawn criticism from some quarters, with Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman suggesting it amounts to a “repackaging of stuff we were doing already.” He argued that projects under Watt's purview were already in train and that the taskforce's recommendations, including significant investment in social housing and increased garda presence, require additional funding beyond existing initiatives.

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The Cabinet approved the appointment of the former secretary general of the Department of Health at its meeting on Tuesday and said Watt would be seconded from the Department of Housing.

Despite these concerns, Taoiseach Micheál Martin emphasized the new agency's capacity to drive the regeneration of Dublin's core, particularly the O’Connell Street area. The taskforce's recommendations, which include a total regeneration of social housing complexes and the provision of 1,000 additional gardaí, require an estimated €750 million to €1 billion in extra investment. The government, however, has stated its commitment to providing the necessary resources for the city's revitalization.

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He will become chief executive of the Dublin City Regeneration Authority, which has been set up as a special purpose vehicle to put into effect the findings of the Dublin city taskforce, which reported in 2024.