Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

By making the suggestion he made, the Deputy is putting me in that position.

The proceedings in question relate to an appeal by Dublin City Council against an order of the High Court that the council pay the costs of providing alternative accommodation and ancillary expenses faced by the residents consequent on the evacuation of the development. These proceedings are next scheduled to take place before the Supreme Court on 15 October 2013. Dublin City Council has recently guaranteed that it will continue paying the accommodation and ancillary costs, with the help of my Department, of the residents until February 2014.

Irrespective of developments concerning these proceedings, it is imperative to identify fair and equitable solutions for Priory Hall residents and in terms of the future of the complex. The most pressing issue is, undoubtedly, the need to find a solution to the unacceptable position in which the former owner-occupiers find themselves. Earlier this week I announced the Government's planned course of action in this regard. Meetings have already taken place with various parties. Senior officials from my Department have made contact with the relevant stakeholders and good progress is being made. Senior officials from my Department also met the residents of Priory Hall in advance of this process in order to elicit from them their bottom line and their own proposals for resolving these issues.

The full resolution of the Priory Hall issue is the ultimate goal. However, after two years in personally very difficult circumstances which nobody here would want to be in, it is vital that, above all else, the former residents are quickly facilitated, that this process is not dragged out and that people are allowed to get on with their lives. I have set down a short period of 21 days to reach conclusions on the matter which has already taken 15 months of Mr. Justice Finnegan's time through the courts process which ultimately failed. I am urging all parties directly involved to work together constructively towards that end. I assure Deputies Mick Wallace and Clare Daly that all options for the residents and the future of the complex are on the table.

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