Members of Ennis Town Council yesterday voted to rezone 70 acres of land for housing owned by a father of one Fianna Fáil councillor.
The decision could realise landowner Damien Reidy up to €16 million based on Ennis land prices. Before the vote, Mr Reidy's son, Cllr Joe Reidy (FF) asked that he be absented from the discussion and vote since he had an interest in the land.
The rezoning was one of several before the council as part of the mid-term review of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.
In its submission on the proposed rezonings, the Department of the Environment expressed concern over the amount of land rezoned residential in Ennis and asked why additional land was now being rezoned for housing.
The department said 16 of the zoning changes in the development plan review involved rezoning from open space/countryside to development land.
The report states: "While each of these areas is generally small, it is noted that the amount of zoned land gave cause for concern in the preparation of the plan. Unclear why additional land is required, given overgenerous supply of land zoned residential." In response to the submission, the council undertook that Mr Reidy's land would be released on a phased basis.
Before the vote, Cllr Donal O'Bearra (Greens) said: "The council appears to be only looking at rezoning land in the review and is not looking at the plan in a comprehensive, structured way and I will not be voting in favour of the review."
The council voted six to two in favour of the rezonings with Cllr Reidy absenting himself. After the vote, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) asked that council officials minute that Cllr Reidy absented himself. He said: "He got in trouble over this before." When the Reidy lands were first proposed last April Cllr Reidy did not declare his interest and came under fire from Green Party councillors.
