Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let me make this absolutely clear. If Kildare County Council wants to acquire this land, it still has the opportunity to do so. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl should not start blaming this situation on previous management. Today, if Kildare County Council decided to pick up the telephone and say it wants to acquire the land and develop it for community use, social housing or other purposes, we are open to that conversation, as we have always been. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl should not try to spin this for political reasons, blame management who are no longer in place and start pointing the finger at me and others, saying we are not being co-operative. We are happy for this land to be transferred to Kildare County Council for what was previously agreed. Unfortunately we now know that the current management and council do not want to proceed with it, which is fine. They have instead decided that this land will be developed by the private sector but under zoning restrictions. This is how the situation will proceed.

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