Written answers

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Land Acquisition

Photo of Brendan  RyanBrendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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657. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if Fingal County Council has initiated the acquisition of the necessary lands for the upgrading of the Hearse Road, Donabate, County Dublin, (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5199/19]

Photo of Brendan  RyanBrendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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658. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if all the infrastructural requirements for the second lane of the Donabate distributor road have formed part of the construction of a single lane which is in breach of its planning conditions as outlined by An Bord Pleanála in 2011 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5200/19]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 657 and 658 together.

Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned.

In the case of the Donabate Distributor road, my involvement relates to the provision of funding for a project under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). This follows on from a competitive bid process. This project, being advanced by Fingal County Council, will provide a key piece of new public infrastructure to stimulate the supply of approximately 1,200 housing units on nearby development sites in Donabate. My understanding is that the Grant of Planning Permission for the Donabate Distributor Road includes the construction of a road of approximately 4 km in length, of which 1 km will be single carriageway and the balance dual carriageway. The road is being constructed on a phased basis, in tandem with the development of Donabate, and the first stage involves the construction of a single carriageway for the full 4 km of roadway. The first phase is designed to allow for addition of further lanes of traffic to provide for dual carriageway in line with the future development of the area and the terms of the Grant of Planning Permission. It is the works associated with this first phase which are being funded under LIHAF.

While my Department continues to review the progress of the project on a regular basis, in line with the terms of the grant agreement, the project is being managed and procured by Fingal County Council and the road is presently under construction.

In accordance with the grant agreement signed in 2017, Fingal County Council can drawdown Exchequer funding of 75% of the infrastructure works, with the remaining 25% being funded by the Council. Land acquisition is not being funded as part of this project, but is obviously a prerequisite for the construction phase. Consequently more detailed information on land acquisition issues would be a matter for Fingal County Council.

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