Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Ocean FM is the local radio station serving the Sligo region and this morning it broadcast a call to make Tom Gilmartin a freeman of Sligo. This is an example of the feelings of ordinary people on how he was treated by the establishment at the time, including senior Fianna Fáil politicians, senior local authority officials and rival developers. I can testify that Tom Gilmartin's bravery, tenacity and resolve to seek the truth is admired by all right-thinking people but in particular by his county men and women.

I welcome the reforms that have been implemented over the past 12 years which, in my view, will ensure that the type of practices in operation in the early 1990s will never happen again. As a member of a local authority for more than 35 years, I can testify that changes brought in by successive governments since 2000 have strengthened the checks and balances to ensure transparency in the actions of local government officials and elected members. I look forward to proposals and legislation to deal with the recommendations of this tribunal which will further strengthen this transparency and ensure our people have trust and confidence in the planning system.

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