Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Hammond Lane was leased out under licence to a construction company. Did the OPW require planning permission to do that for a change of use? Was it applied for? What is the situation? Obviously, as a result of that move, the OPW was able to avoid the vacant site levy.

I am aware the Hawkins House site has planning permission for a ten-story building. The Apollo House site next door recently got planning permission for 21 storeys. On that basis, will the OPW resubmit in order that it will increase its yield, be it for use by the State or, as speculated in the newspapers, in the event it may be for sale?

I will also ask two flooding-related questions.

Given the robust design process that would have been relevant to the Midleton town scheme, it jumped from €20 million to €40 million in a year in terms of its estimate. If we consider the usual cost of inflation that occurs at the tender stage and by the end of construction, a final figure of about €60 million could be expected, which is a multiple of three. With that in mind, in respect of the ring-fenced €1.6 billion the Government will commit, will it be a higher bill and is the Government aware of that?

Regarding the Ennis south scheme, the local authority requested €4.5 million from the OPW. In 2019, the expected completed cost of the scheme under construction was about €11 million but just a year later, the projected cost is €18 million, which would be a factor of four. Could the witnesses give us an update on both of those? What penalties will accrue to the State as a result of the Harcourt Street overrun in terms of gardaí having to stay on longer?