Kilkenny County Council is to investigate whether a local authority official was involved in preparing a planning application for a residential development in Kilkenny city.
Drawings submitted by the developer, Vamere Ltd, do not state the name of the person who prepared the plans, as is required under the Local Government Planning and Development Regulations.
One of the promoters of the scheme told The Irish Times yesterday he did not want to name the person who completed the drawings because he did not want to "get anyone into hot water".
The complex of six town houses and four apartments built by Vamere Ltd is at Archer's Field, Castle Road. The Irish Times has been informed that the drawings were prepared by a Kilkenny local authority official. The official was not involved in processing planning applications. He did not reply to messages left at his home.
A name is provided on the planning application form, but the secretary of Vamere Ltd, Mr Andrew Lynch, has told The Irish Times that this person did not prepare the drawings, but arranged for somebody to do them. Asked whether a local authority official had filled out the planning application, which was submitted in March 1996, Mr Lynch said: "I'd rather not say. I don't want to get anyone into hot water. I'm not prepared to say who it was."
The acting secretary of Kilkenny County Council, Mr Martin Mullally, said he was arranging to have the Archer's Field file examined.
The 1994 Local Government Planning and Development Regulations say plans and drawings accompanying applications for planning permission "shall indicate the name and address of the person by whom they were prepared". A spokesman for the Department of the Environment and Local Government said it was a matter for each local authority to ensure that the regulations were adhered to.
In common with other local authorities, the county and city manager, Mr Paddy Donnelly, is already preparing a report for the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, on whether local authority officials have been engaged in private work.
Mr Mullally said the Kilkenny report would be made available to the Minister "and publication of same will be a matter for him". It would be inappropriate, he said, for Mr Donnelly to comment while the report was being prepared.
cdooley@irish-times.ie
