asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the period of delay occasioned in respect of the commencement of the site development work by the Corporation of Dublin on their schemes at Ballyfermot Upper and Donnybrook by his refusal to sanction the commencement of such work until fully completed plans had been submitted to him, including plans for the development of the adjacent areas, main roads, shopping centres, provision of public buildings, etc.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Site Development Work (Dublin).
I understand that development work on the site at Ballyfermot Upper was commenced by Dublin Corporation on the 12th June, 1951, and was suspended at the end of July, 1951, pending approval to their development proposals. Following examination in the Department of the proposals, which established a need for substantial amendments of the original intentions, approval to the resumption of the development work was given on the 24th November, 1951.
In regard to the Donnybrook site, I understand that the Dublin Corporation were prepared to commence development work in October, 1951. The commencement of development work on the site was approved by my Department on the 21st November, 1951. In this case also the examination of plans submitted to the Department by the corporation disclosed a necessity for amendments of the original development proposals.
Is it not a fact that Dublin Corporation had gone into work on the Ballyfermot site, having submitted plans to the Department of Local Government over a number of years according to the usual practice, but they were forced to withdraw from that site?
I understand that the necessary detailed development documents in the Donnybrook case, at any rate, were not submitted to the Department until the 1st October, 1951. Even if a lay-out plan had been approved, the work could not have been commenced earlier than October, 1951. Approval was conveyed on the 21st November, 1951.
My supplementary was related to the Ballyfermot scheme and the withdrawal necessitated by the action of the Department of Local Government.