Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is jaw-dropping that the Minister was not aware of the legal proceedings, the judicial challenge to these public-private partnership projects. I cannot emphasise enough the impact of this on local communities in my constituency and throughout the country. A number of serious questions will need to be asked. When the Minister made the decision to withdraw from the public-private partnership projects, did he consider the potential of a judicial challenge? Was that considered as one of the possible outcomes? Did he discuss it with his officials? Does he accept that this is now an utter mess? Stronger words come to mind. Dublin City Council will not be able to progress these projects. Its representatives told us during the meeting yesterday that the council will not be able to go out to public tender until this legal issue is sorted.