The decision to suddenly shelve plans to build 22 new social housing units – after questions over the name of who the proposed vendor was, has raised more questions than answers according to one Donegal County Councillor.
The council had initially advertised for landowners interested in selling their land for the construction of new social housing units to contact them.
Eight proposals were submitted, six didn’t meet the criteria – two remained, one was subsequently withdrawn – and the last remaining one which looked like it was set to be given the green light, was also subsequently withdrawn.
However, at a meeting of the Municipal District of Letterkenny, councillor Dessie Shiels asked for the reasons why the proposal to purchase land in the Mountain Top area of Letterkenny for social housing was now suddenly not proceeding?
At a meeting earlier in the year, Mr Shiels and fellow councillor Liam Blaney asked what they deemed where legitimate questions as to the whole process of the proposed development.
They had requested to know who the proposed vendor was, what was the details of the proposed price for the land – and a detailed report on the precise reasons for acceptance of this proposed land.
Cllr Shiels told the meeting “This is a very serious situation, we were told at the last meeting that pending ministerial approval that this site was appropriate for the proposed construction of 22 social housing units.
“Now we’re told the land has now been withdrawn by the seller. At the last meeting we asked legitimate questions regarding this entire project.
“Now a few weeks after this, the land has now been withdrawn. You have to be careful what you say here, but one would ask is everything above board here?
“Again we had eight applications, why did the first six not fit the criteria? Why were they dismissed.
“Now we’re left in a situation where the one vendor who was left is now withdrawing, so that leaves us with no options – at least if we still had three or four other options we could explore them.
“The lack of social housing is a serious issue. I had a single mother contact me recently, and what do you say, it feels like you’re just saying the same thing to them all the time.
“We’re elected members of the public, they raised questions as to what’s going on? We asked the questions, but this latest development simply raises more questions than answers.”
“The public are going to ask why it was withdrawn?”
The council representatives present said the vendor informed them in writing that the land had been withdrawn.
They said they didn’t know why it was withdrawn, and said that was the decision taken by the vendor.
Cllr Shiels requested that clarification be made on the issue, and accepted that while the council representatives present may not have the answers, to go to those that do.
He added, “We’re entitled to ask the questions, we were elected to ask questions, there’s no point being a public representative if we can’t get these answers.
“Why is it so secretive that we don’t even know who assessed these applications? We were told it was a ‘team’ – a team of who?
“We haven’t been furnished with the answers requested and I don’t accept this has been an ‘open’ and ‘transparent’ process.”
An agreement was eventually reached that the questions posed would be addressed at the next meeting if it’s possible.
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