DE BURCA CLAIMS DUNLOP REVELATIONS ABOUT PAYMENTS TO COUNCILLORS WILL IMPACT ON PLANNING IN WICKLOW

"What is so shocking about Mr Dunlop's allegations is that these payments to councillors are supposed to have occurred as recently as 1997 and 1998" she says. "We are often encouraged to believe that planning corruption which apparently was rife in Dublin in the 1980's, is now a thing of the past. However, the alleged payments by Mr Frank Dunlop to south Dublin councillors in 1997 and 1998 would suggest that the practice was in place as recently as three years ago" she adds.

Councillor de Burca points out that while Dublin was the main county on the East Coast in which land speculation and development was occurring in the 1980's and 1990's, the city's expansion has meant that development pressures have now moved to surrounding counties such as Wicklow, Kildare and Meath. "It is in these counties now that rezoning decisions can mean that local landowners, business people and property speculators can become multi-millionaires overnight" says councillor de Burca."Local councillors have the power to make these rezoning decisions and this power must be exercised with the greatest levels of transparency and public accountability" she says.

Councillor de Burca points to a number of occasions on Wicklow County Council when Local Area Plans were adopted by councillors in the face of strong local public opposition to those plans. "This kind of behaviour by councillors can only raise serious doubts in the minds of local people about whose interests are influencing the rezoning decisions in the Local Area Plans" she says. "I have spoken out on several occasions when I have had concerns about the planning decisions being made in these plans" she adds. "Many of my colleagues on the council have criticised me for doing this but I believe that my responsibility is to the people who elected me. If rezoning decisions are being made that are being influenced by factors other than the general public interest, I believe it is my duty to stand up and say so. This wont always make me very popular".

Councillor de Burca has welcomed the requirement under the new Planning and Development Act 2000 whereby local authorities must adopt a Code of Conduct for its members in dealing with conflicts of interests in order to promote public confidence in the integrity of the conduct of its business. "This Code of Conduct is being drawn up by the Council's Strategic Policy Committee on Planning at the moment" says councillor de Burca. She has also welcomed the requirement for local authorities to produce an Ethical Framework for Local Government Service in accordance with Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001.

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.