asked the Minister for Local Government the number of areas that have been purchased in the past ten years by Dublin County Council for open space/ amenity development.
21.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Lands.
20.
asked the Minister for Local Government the names of the areas, the amount of land and the cost in each case of lands purchased for open space/amenity development by Dublin County Council in the past ten years.
22.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give the history of the dealings leading towards the purchase by Dublin County Council of lands at Marley Grange, County Dublin; the amount of land purchased and the cost per acre; and the uses envisaged for this land.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 21 and 22 together.
Since land for amenity purposes is generally acquired by a local authority by agreement and since the cost of acquisition is only sometimes financed by way of loan, my functions in the matter are limited, relating only to sanction to such loans as are sought and dealing with the rare proposal for compulsory acquisition. It would be more appropriate, therefore, if the Deputy sought the comprehensive information he requires from the local authority concerned.
On the specific case of Marley Grange, my Department has not been involved in any way in relation to the acquisition of this property and, again, the more appropriate course would be for the Deputy to address his inquiry to the local authority.
Surely it would be a function of the Minister's Department to bring this information to the notice of the House at the request of a Deputy who puts a question to the Minister in the House?
Unless the matter is brought to the notice of the Department by the local authority it would not be so in order. There are many matters about which it would be possible for the Department to ask local authorities for information which could be got much more easily by local representatives at local level. It is not that I am not anxious to give Deputy Andrews the information but there is a precedent involved in this case, which it would be very difficult to get over at a later stage.
What precedent is there? Let us be fair about it. I agree that there are certain questions asked in the House which could quite easily be asked by letter or telephone call. This is an extremely important issue in the area that I and other Deputies represent. In the circumstances, surely the Minister could have got the information for me?
If we went to the trouble of asking the local authority and gave Deputy Andrews the information which he wants, any Deputy would be entitled to put down a question to me asking me to give the history of dealings between a local authority and the purchaser of lands anywhere in the country. It would be an impossible situation. It would cause a lot of complications. I am not being difficult about it.
I see the Minister's point. The answer to Question No. 22 in relation to the purchase of Marley Grange is relative in the context of the reply the Minister might give to Question No. 23. There is some suggestion that it is not possible to purchase lands at Newtownpark Avenue due to lack of cash. My information is that the Government have purchased over 200 acres at Marley Grange and that the acreage involved in Question No. 23 is only 22 acres. It seems extraordinary.
Question No. 23.
23.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the urgent need for open space/ amenity development land for the residents of the Blackrock/Newtownpark area and the immediately adjacent areas in County Dublin; if he will indicate the lands available in that area and his proposals to fulfil these urgent requirements; and if he will make a policy statement on the matter.
The provision of public open space for the benefit of the residents of the area referred to by the Deputy is primarily a matter for consideration by the planning authority, Dublin County Council.
I assume that the Deputy's question is related to the recent decision by the council to grant outline planning permission, subject to conditions, for housing and flat development on the land attached to Newtownpark House. Several parties have appealed to me against this decision and the main point put forward in support of the appeals is that the land in question should be reserved for use as public open space. As the Deputy is aware, an oral hearing of the appeals has been sought and this will be arranged as soon as possible. At this stage, it would not, of course, be proper for me to make any statement in the matter.
Having regard to the Minister's intention to grant an oral appeal, it might not be proper to comment to any great extent but I would ask him to keep in mind when considering this very important matter that the lands involved are the last remaining piece of open space in the Blackrock area, known as McGuire's land. I see Deputy Desmond coming in behind the Minister. Deputy Desmond supports me fully in my campaign to have these lands acquired for the residents of the Blackrock-Newtownpark area in the County of Dublin. It is the last remaining open space, the last remaining lung. I would ask the Minister to consider these matters when coming to a decision arising out of the oral hearing.
All these matters will be taken into consideration.
It is my intention to raise this matter on the Adjournment, not today, having regard to the pain the people will have to suffer subsequent to the speech of the Minister for Finance. I will raise it on another occasion.
Because this matter is on appeal I do not think it would be proper for me to comment on it at this stage.
It is my intention to raise the subject matter of the other questions related to this——
The Deputy will not raise it today. He will have to mention it on the day he intends to raise it.
I wanted to have it on the record.