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10 October/November 2023 October/November 2023 PB
proposal put to the street traders stated that
DCC and DHLG along with Hammerson would
each contribute to the compensation fund.
As previously reported by Village, DCC has
confirmed that it would contribute at least
£200,000, DHLG at least €300,000 and
Hammerson €1 million of a proposed €1.5
million compensation package.
In his submission to DCC, in which he objects
to the planning application by Dublin Central GP
Ltd., Holbrook claims that he was subjected to
“intense pressure” to support the development.
“As reps on the Moore Street Advisory Group
we had to partake in voting as part of our remit
to get the reports (completed). The pressure
we….were put under to vote for a pro Hammerson
project by ocials in D.C.C/Department of
Heritage/National Monuments and independent
chairs (sic) was tremendous and horrendous
and quite frankly wrong”, Holbrook wrote.
In its final report, MSAG supported the
establishment of a compensation fund for the
Moore Street traders due to the disruption that
will result from extensive and lengthy
construction work in the area. It did not
recommend compensation for businesses on
the street despite requests by Troy Butchers,
owned by Stephen Troy and by MSAG member,
Aengus O’Snodaigh, TD.
In response to the email correspondence from
Tom Collins to the Department and DCC ocials
as disclosed above, O’Snodaigh said:
“Here is the chair of the MSAG seemingly
negotiating a compensation package that was
not his role. He never informed the MSAG. The
independent chair whose job was to get
agreement from all of us on a report to the
minister was negotiating without our authority”.
He added that he is “unhappy” that the Garda
has declined to establish a criminal investigation
into allegations of impropriety surrounding the
compensation fund proposal.
chairperson of the MSAG who should hold an
unbiased role in public oce was aware of, and
most certainly involved in, the secret
compensation process between DCC, DHLG and
Hammerson without informing other members
of the forum (MSAG) what was going on in the
background”, Troy said in his submission to DCC
in September last.
Village reported earlier this year that an oer
of €1.7 million was made to trader representative,
Tom Holbrook,in advance of the final report
being agreed by the MSAG in early May 2021.
The traders refused to endorse the Hammerson
proposal and walked out of the meeting. The
A
submission to Dublin City Council
(DCC) objecting to the application by
Dublin Central GP Ltd, a subsidiary
of UK company, Hammerson, for a
major shopping complex extending
from O’Connell Street to Moore Street has raised
further questions about an alleged oer of
compensation to street traders in return for their
support for the development.
Stephen Troy, who owns a butcher shop on
Moore Street, has included in his submission to
DCC email correspondence from the chairman of
the Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG), Tom
Collins, to senior ocials of the Department of
Housing Local Government and Heritage (DHLG)
and of DCC.
The email was sent on 3 May 2021 to Terry
Allen of DHLG and Cóílin O’Reilly of DCC just
three days before the MSAG submitted its final
report to the heritage minister, Malcom Noonan.
It refers to an oer of compensation to those
street traders who had not committed to
supporting the Hammerson development plans.
It mentions the development director of
Hammerson Ireland, Ed Dobbs, in the context of
the compensation offer as well as a
representative of the street traders, Tom
Holbrook.
Collins wrote:
“Dear Terry/Coilin
I have sketched out on the attached a
brief note on the traders compensation
fund. I think Ed Dobbs will deliver on it but
I think he wants the proposal to come from
you Coilin – if you are ok with that. If not, I
am perfectly happy to send it on.
He says he will present it to the
Hammerson people tomorrow assuming
the traders, Dept and DCC are on board. We
need to get this to him later today. I haven’t
spoken with Tom Holbrook today either but
I think he will go for this…
Tom”.
According to Mr Troy, the email suggests that
Tom Collins, the independent chair of the MSAG,
was involving himself and ocials of DHLG and
DCC in an oer of compensation to street traders
in return for their support for the Hammerson
development.
“It is very disappointing to discover that the
Here is the chair of
the MSAG seemingly
negotiating a compensation
package that was not his
role. He never informed the
MSAG
NEWS
Moore evidence
Newly revealed letter gives impetus for failed
Garda probe into bribery of Moore St traders
By Frank Connolly
Hmmerson’s proposl for Dublin’s Moore Street
