Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

Yes. Prior to submitting this application the applicant would have received formal notification of planning approval and first stage consistency certification from Dublin City Council.

An on-site inspection of the property on 31 January 2006, when all works had been completed, found that the floor area measured 180 sq. m. which is in excess of the maximum allowable under the terms of the scheme. A certificate of reasonable cost cannot issue in this case as, contrary to the conditions of the scheme, the floor area exceeds the maximum limit of 125 sq. m. If the applicant in this case wishes to appeal the decision of my Department in not granting certification on the basis of the measured floor area and has appropriate documentation to justify such an appeal, a further inspection will be arranged to establish if the property, as built, satisfies this cornerstone requirement of the scheme.

I appreciate the Senator's point. The area as he describes it sounds interesting and one wonders about the various stages of this process. I did not expect to be in this House for another hour or two and thought I might use that time to clarify one or two thoughts that strike me as I read it. This matter has arisen in a parliamentary question in the Dáil but the Department's response is very definite. I will get a copy of the Senator's speech to try to tease out whether there is any doubt or wrong on the Department's side.

While the Senator's contact does not want sympathy, this case seems unfortunate. I do not know how one can go about lodging an appeal or alter the space.