Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2013
400. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received a copy of the report (details supplied); when he intends to publish the report for members of the public, stakeholders and Members of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19996/13]
View answer409. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the total amount of expenditure that has been spent to date on a report by a person (details supplied) on the review of the management by his Department of an application by Wicklow County Council for loan approval in respect of the compulsory purchase of land at Charlesland, Greystones, County Wicklow; if all payments to the individual conducting the report have been made; if there are any outstanding fees owed by his Department; if so, the amount; the share of this total cost Wicklow County Council is bearing; the steps his Department took in coming to the decision to appoint the person in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20263/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 400 and 409 together.
Issues related to the compulsory purchase of land at Charlesland, Greystones, County Wicklow were the subject of representations by a number of Wicklow public representatives to the former Minister of Housing and Planning, Willie Penrose T.D. Former Minister Penrose recommended, in consultation with me, that Senior Counsel be appointed to review these matters. Following a nomination by the Attorney General's Office, I appointed Mr Seamus Woulfe SC to carry out the independent review. The total cost of the report amounts to €49,200 and has been met by my Department. The report was published on my Department’s website on 24 April 2013 and is available at www.environ.ie.
I am pleased that the review has found that the allegations of the Councillors did not stand up. It is extremely important that the public have confidence that local authorities are discharging their functions correctly. That is why I commissioned this report. Having reviewed the report, I now regard the matter as closed.
This report follows from a review carried out in 2012 by Mr. Woulfe into the management by my Department of an application by Wicklow County Council for loan approval in respect of the above mentioned compulsory purchase following representations made by the Councillors in regard to my Department. The report fully exonerated my Department. The total cost of, and expenditure by my Department on, this review was €19,680.
