Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 23 June 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities

9:30 am

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for raising something that is very local but I wish to move on to this recent issue, which is the extension of the city boundary in Cork. It is a very welcome development in that there are now two local authorities dealing with planning and all of the other issues in relation to their areas. There is a situation, however, where there are 50 court orders and a dispute with the local authorities as to who has responsibility. Together with my three colleagues in Cork North Central, we wrote on 22 of June 2021 to both of the chief executives and to the Department looking for clarification. Four Deputies signed that letter. Here we are, 12 months later, and nothing has happened. These are 50 court orders relating to breach of planning. Nothing has happened on this. It is not acceptable that nothing has happened on this over the 12 months to date. There seems to be an internal dispute over whether the county council should pursue it or the city council should pursue it. Again, this is about public accountability. There are 50 court orders for breach of planning that were secured by the county council but the properties are now in the jurisdiction of the city council. There is a dispute now over who should take the next step.

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