Mattie McGrath demands intervention over Bally Pardeen demolitions
Mattie McGrath welcomed aspects of the legislation but raised urgent concerns about planning and housing decisions, urging the minister to intervene over granny flats, the Sean Meehan mobile-home prosecution, and the proposed demolition of 52 houses at Bally Pardeen, Tipperary. He criticised actions by the County Council and a purported behind-closed-doors deal, and called for the homes to be allocated to families on the housing list.
He highlighted problems with granny flats and garden modules, citing the case of Sean Meehan, who was prosecuted for living in a mobile home encased in a timber structure. McGrath said there were no complaints from neighbours and questioned the consistency of enforcement.
He described Bally Pardeen in Tipperary as 52 well-built houses whose planning was challenged by the County Council in 2005 and 2006 and which have been subject to ongoing court proceedings since.
He said the Council did not win its case and alleged a clandestine deal is now in place to demolish the houses, at a cost he estimated between £7 million and £8.5 million, with the site to be rendered back to a brownfield and returned to the owner.
McGrath urged the minister to contact the County Council and intervene, arguing the 52 houses should be allocated to families on the housing list rather than demolished.
Granny flats and the Meehan prosecution
He highlighted problems with granny flats and garden modules, citing the case of Sean Meehan, who was prosecuted for living in a mobile home encased in a timber structure. McGrath said there were no complaints from neighbours and questioned the consistency of enforcement.
Bally Pardeen development dispute
He described Bally Pardeen in Tipperary as 52 well-built houses whose planning was challenged by the County Council in 2005 and 2006 and which have been subject to ongoing court proceedings since.
Planned demolition and estimated cost
He said the Council did not win its case and alleged a clandestine deal is now in place to demolish the houses, at a cost he estimated between £7 million and £8.5 million, with the site to be rendered back to a brownfield and returned to the owner.
Request for ministerial intervention
McGrath urged the minister to contact the County Council and intervene, arguing the 52 houses should be allocated to families on the housing list rather than demolished.
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Transcript
I want to welcome many aspects of this legislation, Minister. I mean, it's very important that I see you're making efforts in many areas, but we have a lot of strange things happening as well. And I ought to, like Deputy Hillary, want to ask about the granny flats and the, you know, it's very so important for the modules in the back garden. And I mentioned again, Sean Meehan, who's been prosecuted right through the courts for having his own little mobile home, encased in a lovely timber structure and do no harm to anybody. No complaints from his neighbours, not on the whole road he lives. I also want to ask, Minister, I handed you a file out a number of weeks ago, about Bally Pardeen and Tipperary. 52 of the finest houses ever constructed in this country. And the County Council, for some reason, took issue with the full planning commission, took issue with them in 2005 and 2006, and it's been in the courts ever since. And some kind of a clandestine deal now has been done behind closed doors. Obviously, the Council didn't win, and they're going to demolish those houses. 52 of the finest houses. Mass concrete with insulation, perfect roofs, perfect walls, perfect timber ceilings and timber upstairs ceilings. And now the Council are going to knock them a house at a cost of somewhere between £7 and £8.5 million and render the site back to a brownfield site and hand it back to the owner. What is going on, Minister? Will you please, please contact the Bally Pardeen County Council and intervene here. These 52 houses should be given to families, not given them, but allocated to families who are on the housing list.