Irish Environment Minister John Gormley has announced the appointment of Gerry McCaughey as Chairperson of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Mr McCaughey was co-founder and ex-CEO of Century Homes, the timber frame housing business, which was sold to building-materials company Kingspan in 2005.

He left Kingspan in 2008 to pursue private interests.

The Minister also announced the appointment of Yvonne Farrell to the Executive Board of the Authority.

Ms Farrell is co-founder of Grafton Architects, a company that has received numerous awards and has extensively published and exhibited internationally.

She replaces Sheila O'Donnell, of O'Donnell and Toumey Architects, who resigned from the Executive Board in February 2009.

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Minister Gormley said: "I'm very happy that Gerry has agreed to chair the DDDA. He's one of our most successful green entrepreneurs and in the past decade has shown clear leadership on issues including regulatory reform, sustainable business practices and the environmental and energy agenda."

"He has the experience to lead the DDDA through this current period of uncertainty and to place it in a position where it can further develop the essential economic and social infrastructure to ensure a truly sustainable and prosperous future for our capital city," said the Minister, who also welcomed Ms Farrell to the board.

The Authority is responsible for ensuring integrated physical, economic and social regeneration of some 1,300 acres of docklands that historically had been neglected and isolated from the city proper.

"It is aiming for the creation of a world-class city quarter - commercially vibrant and socially cohesive - that would be an asset to Ireland as a whole, and Dublin in particular," said Mr Gormley.

"The Authority has now entered the second decade of its programme of regeneration of the Docklands area and we have now completed a strong, experienced and skilled Executive Board to carry out its challenging work," he added.

(PR/JM)