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"Dublin City Council wasted E40m"

Monday, March 11 14:13:04

Dublin City Council has wasted E40m of taxpayers' money on pointless planning decisions, according to an An Taisce report today.

It alleges that Dublin City Council has wasted money by ignoring its own development plan on highly significant proposals over the last 15 years.

This cost is spread between E30m wasted regarding the Mater proposal and another E10m frittered away on 25 other applications, An Taisce claims.

"In supporting a National Children's Hospital in the wrong location - and in clear contravention of the height guidelines of its own Development Plan - Dublin City Council wasted E30m of taxpayers' money in design fees, as well as delaying the provision of a National Children's Hospital", said Ian Lumley, An Taisce's Heritage and Built Environment Officer."

"In the case of the Mater site the consequences are clear: a cost to taxpayers of approx E30m. Where the developer is not the State, there still remains a very significant cost to taxpayers, even if it is less obvious. City Council officials, members of An Bord Pleanala as well as other officials that review planning applications are all publicly-paid employees. The oral hearing into the Jury's / Berkeley Court application alone ran for three weeks - with all the attendant cost that this involves. It would be a very conservative estimate to say that the matters outlined in this document have cost taxpayers tens of millions," said An Taisce's Director, James Nix.

In compiling its report, An Taisce reviewed transcripts of oral hearings, minutes of planning meetings taken (or not taken) during the bubble period and spoke with developers misled by ill-informed advice.