Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 December 2005
445 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of times compulsory purchase orders have been used in the past 20 years to acquire sites for national schools and the details of same. [39849/05]
View answerThe functions of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in regard to the compulsory acquisition of land by local authorities were statutorily transferred to An Bord Pleanála from 1 January 2001. Accordingly, my Department does not have information regarding the details of compulsory acquisition orders in the intervening period.
The information sought in respect of the 16-year period prior to 2001 is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. While there is no immediate recollection within my Department of any compulsory acquisition of land by local authorities specifically for the provision of schools, it is possible that a portion of lands originally acquired for housing purposes could have been used as school sites.
