Collins says allegations about property declarations 'misleading and inaccurate'

Mr Collins said the planning application made for his family home 23 years ago was made when he was a private citizen

“I clearly met the planning criteria on two grounds, by virtue of being the son of a long term resident landholder and having lived in the pressure area prior to 1990,” Niall Collins said. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Junior Minister Niall Collins has broken his silence and described allegations that he failed to properly disclose his planning application as “misleading and inaccurate”.

He said the planning application made for his family home 23 years ago was made when he was a private citizen.

“I clearly met the planning criteria on two grounds, by virtue of being the son of a long-term resident landholder and having lived in the pressure area prior to 1990,” he said.

“The matter of whether I owned a house with my wife near Limerick city, which was outside the pressure area, was not an issue of consideration in our policy at the time under that county development plan and whether I had stated that are not was immaterial to the planning adjudication process 23 years ago,” Mr Collins told the Dáil in a personal statement.

Rejecting the allegations contained on The Ditch website, Mr Collins said his home area of Patrickswell was deemed to be in the pressure area as designated by the 1999 Limerick county development plan, which was the overarching planning policy document and upon which planning decisions were made at the time.

He said the decision on his planning application for his new home near his parents would be based on the policy contained in the 1999 Limerick County Development Plan, which clearly stated that any person who lived in the pressure area prior to 1990 was eligible to be granted permission.

“I was eligible in accordance with the planning criteria, and I appointed a local architect to compile and submit the application on my behalf,” he said.

“What was the most material factor in my planning application was that I had lived in Patrickswell for some 28 years. Most importantly, prior to 1990. Also, my parents continue to live there throughout that time. Therefore, excuse me, I was therefore compliant with the criteria set out in the 1999 Limerick county development plan,” he said.

In 2004, he was elected to Limerick County Council which, he said, thereafter introduced a new policy "in relation to housing need".

He said the "housing need factor" which was "referred to in the article" only came into the County Development Plan policy in 2004, which was "three years after my planning application was submitted".

"To suggest that my planning application in 2001 was not valid or did not meet the planning criteria is entirely factually incorrect and inaccurate."

He said the planning application was in the name of Niall Collins as well as the site notice and the newspaper advertisement of the planning application.

 “And in all my correspondence on the planning file, the planning permission was granted in the name of Niall Collins,” he added.

“I am entirely satisfied that my planning application 23 years ago for my family home, met the correct planning criteria, and was correctly adjudicated upon,” he concluded.

In the Dáil, Sinn Féin’s Denise Mitchell complained that the Opposition was not made aware of Mr Collins’ statement in advance and it was not raised at the Dáil’s Business Committee earlier in the day.

Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail responded sharply by saying it was “none of the business” of the committee and solely a matter for him to decide to allow the statement.