Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am really concerned. The concerns tie into the concerns of local residents. It is my understanding that residents attempted to reach out to the civic engagement team and that the levels the Minister spoke about no longer obtain, but that is perhaps for another day. That is all I have to say about the modular homes in Clonmel.

I want to talk about Dundrum for a minute and my concerns over the contract entered into by the Department with a company that was incorporated only in January of this year. The concerns are well noted. There are so many layers of complexity around Dundrum House Hotel. It is an iconic landmark that dates from the 18th century and it has such a such a strong connection with it. People are really concerned about its future. There are so many layers of complexity and so many matters before the courts, and for that reason I will not go into the ownership concerns. The concerns were well flagged before the contract was entered into, in January of this year. How the Department could enter into a contract with a company that was incorporated only in January of this year and with no track record in hospitality beggars belief. There are other matters before the courts as well.

I want to understand section 5. If an individual comes to the Minister with an offer of accommodation, is a critical component of the offer that the individual must have section 5 permission in their hand? If they do not have that, is that the end of it and are there no further negotiations on the offer?