Niall Collins was entitled to seek planning permission, says Martin

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that, having gone through the documents himself, "we need to all accept now" that Niall Collins was entitled to seek planning permission at the time.

Defending party colleague Niall Collins, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: "If you look at the county development plan in 1999, from what I have seen, there is no question but that he was entitled to seek planning permission." Picture: RollingNews.ie

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has defended Niall Collins, saying that information about where the Limerick Fianna Fáil TD was living at the time of a planning application was immaterial.

It comes as Opposition TDs have argued Mr Collins has not addressed whether a form submitted as part of the 2001 planning application contained incorrect information on where he was living at the time.

Mr Martin also criticised news outlet The Ditch, saying the article published on the website “gave the clear impression” that Mr Collins was not entitled to planning permission.

He said there was “no question” as to whether Mr Collins was entitled to seek planning permission after, he said, he went through the documents himself.

“The article that was published on The Ditch gave the clear impression that he was not entitled to the planning permission,” Mr Martin told reporters.

That’s the impression that was created. It also created the impression that there was some false name given. 

"The central point was around was he, or was he not entitled to planning permission.

“If you look at the county development plan in 1999, from what I have seen, there is no question but that he was entitled to seek planning permission on the basis that the land was his father’s, and on the basis that he had lived there before 1990.

“That was not conveyed in the article. 

"A lot of people are questioning about the two years. Yes he lived 28 years, not 30, but it is not material to the application.

“We are talking about 23 years ago now. I think we need to all accept now ... he was entitled to permission.”

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Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Mr Collins, the junior minister for skills and further education, said he was “entirely satisfied” that the planning application for his family home in Patrickswell met the Limerick County Council planning criteria in place at the time and was correctly adjudicated upon.

However, he did not address whether a form submitted to the council as part of the planning application contained incorrect information on where he was living at the time.

The form said he intended to move into the new home from his parents’ house, but it was reported that Mr Collins bought a property on Fr Russell Road, Dooradoyle, in 1999.

“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 or policy at the time under that county development plan and whether I had stated that or not was immaterial to the planning adjudication process 23 years ago,” Mr Collins told the Dáil.