Vol. 492 No. 6
12 D'fhiafraigh Mr. R. Bruton den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gaeltachta agus Oileán an dtabharfaidh sí cuntas cruinn faoin scéal i leith fhorbairt na Roinne ag an Mullach Mór, Cora Finne agus Cill Fhionnúrach i gContae an Chláir agus faoin méid airgid atá leagtha síos i mbliana ina thaobh; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh [14482/98]
Arising out of the number of meetings I have had with regard to this issue in County Clare, in April last my Department wrote to Comhar Conradh na Boirne in Kilfenora, and to the Corofin and District Development Company, proposing that an option for development in the area might be for these two groups to put forward proposals in conjunction with Clare County Council, and that subject to their putting forward a suitable project, I would make available grant aid of the order of £500,000 to each group. It is, of course, open to the two groups to obtain additional funding from other sources, if they consider it appropriate.
This offer is now being considered by the two groups and l am prepared to engage in further consultations with them at their convenience.
The Deputy will be aware that Clare County Council have again deferred a decision on the question of material contravention of the County Development Plan until next September. I have indicated to the planning authority my hope that the matter will be determined at that time.
The ongoing dispute at the Mullaghmore site is very unbecoming and I do not know when it will be resolved. On a previous occasion I asked the Minister to take the initiative on this matter. It is not helpful that she has agreed to a further postponement of the decision by Clare County Council. At the last meeting of the council, the planning officer indicated that he is opposed to a material contravention of the county plan. If communications between the council and the Minister are up to date, there does not appear to be much hope that the proposal will be accepted. Will the Minister withdraw that proposal and make a new proposal to Clare County Council?
I should not have to remind Deputy Carey that this matter has been ongoing for the past seven and a half years. As a former Minister of State at the Department, he had the opportunity to try to make progress on it but, unfortunately, no conclusion was reached during his term of office. I inherited this problem and I hope to resolve it with the co-operation and goodwill of everyone concerned, no matter what side of the fence they happen to be on.
I do not believe that the proposal represents a material contravention of the county plan. As stated on numerous occasions, the planning process is completely independent and I have no wish to interfere with it. I put forward substantial and significant proposals in respect of Kilfenora and Corofin and I am awaiting correspondence from interested parties in both areas with regard to how they see those proposals progressing. My officials and I have had a number of conversations with them in respect of these issues. I understand further meetings are being arranged between my officials and representatives from both areas.
Deputy Carey will be aware that responsibility for deferring the decision until December lies with the county council. The council made a democratic decision and I feel obliged to comply with it. However, in my letter to the council, I stated that my personal wish is that, regardless of the decision taken in September, a final decision be taken in December so that progress can be made on this matter.
The Minister will be aware that I also inherited this problem and that it did not begin during my time in office. Will she advise the House on the current position in respect of the court case? When the application to which she referred was made, following a process of consultation and the publication of the report of a working group which comprised wide representation, an undertaking was given that the terms applied for would be revealed to the court. Where stands the planning application in relation to the court proceedings? On what date will the Minister make her next submission to the court?
With regard to the working group which I gave an undertaking to establish, I must emphasise that the groups remit will be much wider than a mere consideration of issues surrounding visitor centres. The working group will investigate how to promote north Clare in a sensitive way. The terms of reference have been drawn up and I have approached an individual to take on the onerous job of the chairing the group. When that person gives their consent, I will announce the composition of the group. I assure the Deputy that it will be wide-ranging in terms of its interests and remit.
As stated, the planning application is currently with Clare County Council which must make a decision on the proposals the Deputy put forward during his time as Minister. Such decisions must be taken at county council level and we await that. As I informed Deputy Carey, this matter will be discussed and considered at the council's September meeting. That is the current position as I understand it.
On the occasion of the previous planning application being submitted to Clare County Council, it was required, as a result of the court proceedings taken by the litigants, that details of the plan as submitted be given in court. If, in September, Clare County Council does not arrive at a decision, the choices are either to withdraw the application or submit a new one. This would require a return to the court in accordance with its previous decision. My original question inquired whether the legal position is being addressed.
Given that I do not have a legal background, I have been anxious to monitor the legal position during each step in this process because of the number of court cases taken in respect of this. I have done my utmost to keep abreast of the legal position and local people's concerns. It is difficult to balance the two in the sense that time is not one's own when cases are proceeding before the courts because they are completely independent of any political will or plan. As already stated, it is important to wait until Clare County Council takes its decision before reappraising the situation. I do not want to pre-empt any decision which may be taken by the elected members of the local authority.
