Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2009
196 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she is satisfied that her Department officials and agencies of her Department responded satisfactorily to concerns raised by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37239/09]
View answerThe management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio, including the acquisition and disposal of property is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency, as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas, and it is not a matter in which the Minister of the day has any involvement.
I am informed that the sale of 0.4ha of land to Mr. Malachy Kearns of Roundstone Musical Instruments (RMI) by IDA Ireland was completed in December 2008. I understand that during protracted negotiations a number of issues were raised by Mr. Kearns including the size of the site to be included in the sale, a mapping error, the start and completion dates of a proposed expansion to the factory on that site and VAT. These issues were finally resolved and the sale was completed, as I have said, in December of last year. As far as the IDA is aware, there are no other outstanding issues. Mr. Kearns had already bought two other plots of land on the same site from the IDA in 1998 and 1999 and I understand that he is currently in negotiation with the Agency regarding the purchase of the freehold interest in all three plots.
