asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware of the position outlined by the Comptroller and Auditor General in his report on the Appropriation Accounts, 1982 on Vote 43—subhead C which deals with the accommodation and building charges in relation to land purchased by his Department in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Department's County Limerick Land.
19.
I am so aware.
For the current telephone development programme it was necessary to acquire some 500 sites throughout the country for telephone exchange buildings, staff, stores, training, etc. In Limerick, a site at Roxboro was bought for use for development primarily as a depot for staff and as a training centre. The normal practice of requiring completion of legal formalities to be subject to receipt of planning approval was not insisted on because the Department had reason to believe that planning permission for use of the site as a training centre, at least, would be forthcoming and because the owner of the site was not prepared to wait.
Later, when the county council indicated that permission for an engineering depot would not be forthcoming for the Roxboro property, an alternative site for this purpose was obtained. Because of restrictions on capital spending on buildings, it has not been possible to proceed with development of the second site which, incidentally, was later exchanged for another site offered by Shannon Free Airport Development Company.
The training needs have been met in the meantime by a separate development on an existing site. The disposal of the Roxboro property, in which Limerick Corporation have expressed an interest, is now being pursued.