asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the further communication he has received from Dublin County Council regarding the proposed housing site in Newcastle, County Dublin, he will now sanction the purchase of this site.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Newcastle (Dublin) Housing Site.
15.
There was nothing in the latest letter from the county council to warrant reconsideration of the decision in this case which was taken after full consideration of all the circumstances.
Is the Minister prepared to give me or lay before the House the advice he received in relation to this site, because somebody is telling lies? I do not want to accuse the Minister of telling lies or accuse the people in the county council of telling lies. However, I am being told one thing by the Minister and another thing by the manager and the county council. The Minister says he was advised by the county council that this was an unsuitable site?
That is so. I am advised the site is unsuitable.
Will the Minister give me copies of that correspondence? They have denied that to me emphatically in the county council. It is impossible to do business in this way. I have requested the Minister, in his own interest as well as in the interest of everybody else, to lay this correspondence before the House. It is impossible for members of local authorities to work if they are told in the local authority one thing is correct and the Minister says it is wrong.
I do not know to what exactly the Deputy is referring.
The Minister is on record as saying here last week he was advised by the planning officer that this was an unsuitable site for housing in Newcastle. I want to ask the Minister again is there any point in imploring local authorities to build up reserves of building land if, when they do get land at a reasonable price, it is turned down by him?
The emphasis is on building land.
This is first-class building land. The Minister knows it is as level as the floor of this House.
I know exactly what the interest there is.
If the Minister is not prepared to sanction the purchase, that excludes all public building on 34 of the 36 acres.
It is outside the drainage area.
It is outside the drainage area. The Minister knows well that when a sewerage scheme is put into a place, an imaginary line is drawn and it can be extended to suit any development. This is a county council development. Does the Minister not know that if the capacity of the sewer, which is quite a small one, is taken up, the county council will not be able to get building land in the area? This is an opportunity that should be availed of.
This looks very like an argument.
It is unsuitable.
Will the Minister lay before the House the advice he got from the county council?
I do not know what the Deputy is referring to now.
The Deputy is referring to the Minister's statement at Question Time last week when he told me he was advised by the planning officer that this was an unsuitable site for building. I want to find out who is telling the truth.
The Dublin planning officer concurs in the assessment of my Department's technical officers on the limitations of the lands for development.
Will the Minister place that correspondence at my disposal or before the House? I had the planning officer out there and he said it was an ideal site for building. There is something wrong here.
What is the Minister going to do about it?
This is a completely unsuitable site.
Who told the Minister it was an unsuitable site? This is disgraceful conduct.
The technical officers of my Department and the report of the Dublin planning officer endorses the view.
Will the Minister place that before the House?
I know exactly what the interest in this is.
If the Minister will do so, I am prepared to agree with him.
Question No. 16.
On a point of order, Sir, may I raise this on the Adjournment, in view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply?
There would not be sufficient time for the Minister.
What is the Standing Order that prevents him, Sir?
It is commonsense.
If the Minister knew his job, he would have the file to answer.
There would not be sufficient time for the Department to be contacted and the matter considered further by the Minister.
Why was that not put in Standing Orders?
There are a good many things not in Standing Orders.
You are the Chairman of the Committee that drafted that Standing Order, Sir, and I had the honour of sitting under you.