West Wicklow Sinn Féin candidate in the upcoming local elections in West Wicklow Connor Byrne has welcomed confirmation that Wicklow County Council has ordered the demolition of dwellings at an illegal development in the area at the Kippure Manor Estate.
Byrne described the whole affair as an absolute scandal.
Although concerns remain following the actions of Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien, who introduced last minute amendments to his own planning bill following meetings between his staff and property developers in Wicklow, which allows the government to overturn Wicklow County Council objections or refusal of planning permission.
Connor Byrne said:
“I welcome confirmation that Wicklow County Council has ordered the demolition of 65 illegally constructed dwellings at the Kippure Manor Estate.
The situation at Kippure was created by the environment of opportunistic profiteering off of the immigrant crisis brought about by the shambolic approach by the government.
Those looking to make a quick profit assumed they would be given special treatment, so long as they continued to enable the government’s desire to sweep their problems under the rug and sweep human beings that they didn’t want to deal with into areas that they have no interest in supporting.
We in Sinn Féin had raised concerns with Wicklow County Council around planning issues at the development at Kippure. And my party colleague John Brady had previously added his name as a notice party to enforcement proceedings against the development.
Planning regulations are essential to the development of vibrant liveable communities, properly resourced with adequate services and amenities.
What is evident here in Wicklow, and indeed across the state is that the record of this government in relation to planning is shambolic.
And I find it particularly concerning that the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien saw fit to bring forward a last-minute amendment to his own planning bill, following meetings between his personal representatives and a property developer in Greystones, after Wicklow County Council turned down planning permission as the area had already surpassed its population targets of 22,000 for 2028.
If the Minister has his way, he could potentially overturn any decisions by our Council in relation to the development at Kippure.
This is unacceptable, and it is undemocratic, and undermines the integrity of local government planning.
Like many people who remember previous experiences of Fianna Fail’s manipulation of the property market, there is a real fear here that the Minister wants to drag us back to old Fianna Fail style unregulated planning – and we all know how that worked out in the past.
We need more homes in Wicklow. But development needs to come as part of a wider integrated plan that will see improved infrastructure, more schools, improved access to health facilities, and the creation of more jobs locally.
Planning regulations must be enforced impartially, and free from government interference. With all future development plans measured against the capacity of a local community to absorb additional developments whilst at a minimum maintaining but aspiring to improve local services and amenities.”