ANGRY COUNCILLORS in south Dublin have called on Green Party Minister of State Ciarán Cuffe to withdraw comments he made stating councillors were “taking money from developers”.
In a debate on RTÉ's Prime Timeprogramme on Thursday night, Mr Cuffe, Minister of State with responsibility for planning, said he believed "the compulsion to rezone" was still out there.
“I see it in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, I still see councillors wishing to rezone land and indeed taking money from developers,” he said.
Tensions between Mr Cuffe, Minister for the Environment John Gormley and councillors in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council over planning decisions have been running high.
Earlier this year, a proposal to increase retail zoning at The Park Village in Carrickmines as part of the local authority’s county development plan was overturned by a ministerial order from Mr Gormley. The issue is currently before the courts.
Independent Cllr Victor Boyhan said the allegations made by Mr Cuffe were very serious. He called on the Minister to substantiate them. “If these allegations prove to be false, I believe he needs to consider his position as Minister.”
Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Labour Party Cllr Lettie McCarthy said Mr Cuffe’s comments were outrageous and scurrilous.
“I have never taken any money from developers,” she said.
“As Minister, if he comes out with a statement like that he needs to produce the evidence. It is those sorts of comments that create apathy around politics.”
People Before Profit Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett said there was no doubt some councillors were “still promoting the profit-driven developer agenda”, but he questioned Mr Cuffe’s credibility on the issue.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Gerry Horkan said it sounded like Mr Cuffe was trying to protect his seat by having a go at Fine Gael in Dún Laoghaire.
Fine Gael Cllr Marie Baker said Mr Cuffe had slurred all 28 councillors in Dún Laoghaire.
She also pointed out that Mr Gormley had chosen six councils to investigate in relation to planning matters and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown was not among them.
Speaking to The Irish Timesyesterday, Mr Cuffe refused to withdraw his remarks. "I certainly don't wish to imply that all councillors are taking donations from developers, but I do believe there is an unhealthy relationship between developers and the political process.
“I think enormous pressure is put on councillors during the development plan process. One of the things we can do is ensure developers can’t make contributions directly and I think that is good for politics.”
Mr Cuffe said the public record showed Fine Gael Cllr John Bailey accepted €2,500 from Cosgrave Developments, €2,500 from estate agents Hooke and MacDonald and €2,500 from Irish Nationwide Building Society.
Speaking on behalf of her father John Bailey, Cllr Maria Bailey said any contributions raised by her father were a matter of public record and had never affected his judgment. The money in question was raised as part of a fundraising dinner in 2007 and many councillors had similar dinners. She said the “bee in Mr Cuffe’s bonnet” was councillors’ attempts to increase retail zoning at Carrickmines, which was justified and would have created up to 600 jobs.
