Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge what the Minister of State says. The important thing here relates to a letter to me from Gerry Ashe, the chair of the board of directors of the Citizens Information Service which deals with 6,000 queries.

I think he summarises it well. His letter stated:

The CIC had previously held a sublease from the Education and Training board who also rent space in the Town Centre, but earlier this year, the Town Centre informed us that they would issue a lease directly to the CIC and its parent company the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Citizens Information Service. However while we were in negotiation for this lease, the Town Centre decided unilaterally to withdraw the offer of a lease and has demanded immediate vacant possession. We also understand that the ETB has not secured a lease so they are not in a position to offer a sub-lease either.

As I said in my first intervention, we need to put a brake on it all and bang heads together in a civilised and civil way, and then let solicitors articulate in law or in contract what civilised discussion has achieved. Some 18,600 people are affected which is too many people to be affected in a very non-civil and very rude, abrupt and discourteous way. That is the point of the whole thing.

I again thank the Ceann Comhairle for taking the issue.

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