Tom Morrissey (Progressive Democrats)

I am dealing with it in the context of how Dublin County Council ran its affairs and was taking advice from its officials – the same officials who would have served the council prior to my time – on matters which are ongoing in the Flood tribunal. At the time there was a culture of council officials saying that certain lands were not to be zoned. Some councillors took that view because it was coming from officialdom. Other councillors took a different view and at times it became a war of attrition in the council chamber. As a result, some developers decided they had to go about getting their motions up for discussion and trying to influence people.

For example, the site of the proposed North-West Business Park in Blanchardstown was unserviced lands and the council decided there was no need for additional land zoned for industry in the Blanchardstown area. Ten years later that land is occupied by many businesses. I have been told only this afternoon by Fingal County Council that the rates base from that area in 1994 was €0.54 million and today it is €4.7 million. While the council officials would not have had us rezone those lands, the industries and the jobs in that area are making a contribution, both in tax to this economy and in rates to the county council. If councillors like me and others had not zoned those lands for industrial development, we would not have that rates base or that employment in Blanchardstown and it would not be the vibrant place it is today. No doubt that example can be found in other areas of Dublin, from Carrickmines as far as Balbriggan, but I would not be as knowledgeable about other local electoral areas as I would about my own.