Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I return to the saga of Dundrum House Hotel in Tipperary. On Monday, the High Court delivered a judgment that quashed the section 5 planning exemption granted for Dundrum House Hotel. The ruling confirmed what local communities have been saying for over a year, that there is no legal or planning basis for an IPAS centre at this site. The certificate underpinning this arrangement should never have been issued. Despite this, the Taoiseach's Government continues to stand over a multi-million euro contract with Utmasta Limited, worth up to €8.5 million a year, to operate a facility that is clearly operating outside the law.

This is not simply a legal failure; it has been a social, economic and financial disaster for Dundrum and south Tipperary. There are serious moral questions for the Government about how it could engage with contractors who have not filed accounts and are not compliant with our laws. The High Court has ruled definitively that Dundrum House Hotel is non-compliant. We know that more than 20 IPAS contracts have already been terminated this year for non-compliance with planning, building or fire regulations. Why is Dundrum House Hotel allowed to operate continually like this when it is in this category? Continuing to fund this contract undermines the integrity of the Government's decision-making and shows absolute disregard for the authority of the courts and this country's planning laws.

We have already seen the loss of 48 jobs here when Dundrum House Hotel closed its doors, and the collapse of a vital tourism and leisure hub that sustained golf, hospitality and community life, and indeed tourism and culture events as well. Let us not forget that when people stood up against this, and for their rights, they were met with a tyranny of force by An Garda Síochána's riot squad, canine squad and God knows what.

I have some questions for the Taoiseach. Will his Government immediately revoke the IPAS contract for Dundrum House Hotel in light of the High Court ruling? Will he confirm that no further taxpayers' money will be paid under the contract, which has no legal foundation whatsoever? Will he acknowledge the grave wrong done to the people of Dundrum village and community, who have been vindicated by the courts, and commit to restoring this amenity to its rightful role in supporting rural development and to changing how decisions about these contracts are made by the Government? Finally, will the Taoiseach commit to a full review of how the contract was awarded, given serious concerns about planning compliance, transparency and the suitability of Utmasta Limited? High Court evidence shows that companies associated with Dundrum House Hotel have not been tax compliant for six years. Just imagine. Any other citizen would not offer that company their business, so what kind of example are we showing? Why was the company deemed suitable for a State contract worth up to €8.5 million annually when all this was known and pointed out by the people and by us as public representatives too?

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