Sir, – I am an elected member of Wicklow County Council. I wish to take issue with the article “Council to pay €3m for €400,000 site” (July 27th) as it reports only one side of the story.
The article made no mention of the fact that a special meeting of Wicklow County Council had been called to discuss this loan. I proposed an amendment to instruct the county manager to go back and re-negotiate a better price for the taxpayer to reflect today’s property prices. I also asked for the Comptroller and Auditor General to become involved in these negotiations. My proposal was deemed to be lawful by the attendant law agent. Councillors had the opportunity to at least say to the people of Wicklow “We tried to get a better price”. The amendment was defeated.
At the commencement of this controversial meeting, the cathaoirleach stated he met Minister of State for Housing Willie Penrose the previous week and got an undertaking from him that there would be no financial burden on Wicklow County Council. The Housing Finance Agency would grant the loan. The county manager repeated this.
It’s now my understanding that the Minister has refuted this in writing.
I am asking the Minister to appoint officials from the Comptroller and Auditor General to examine this land deal before it is finalised at the end of August. – Yours, etc,