More loopholes for buying State property below value may exist, admits Martin

ENTERPRISE Minister Micheál Martin has admitted there may be other legal loopholes by which private companies could obtain State-owned lands for a fraction of their real value.

Opposition parties claimed yesterday that remarks by Mr Martin indicated the Government had no idea of the scale of the problem.

However, Mr Martin insisted the Government was “fairly satisfied” that it had managed to close off the exposure of the State to the further risk of being forced to sell more property to commercial interests.