PB October 2023 October 2023 29
In the case of
Councillor Declan
McDonnell, his
submission appeared
just one minute after
the developer’s
Verbatim in Triplice
Verbatim in Triplice
Verbatim in Triplice
Consultants’ submission on behlf of Mry Hrrie Mdden repliced
verbim by hree Councillors: McDonnell, McNelis nd Lrkin
An Bord Pleanála has previously
upheld three planning appeals by
third parties after Galway City
Council awarded planning
permission each time for the
T
hree Galway City
councillors appear to
have copied a
developer’s letter in an
attempt to lobby the
Minister for Housing, Darragh
O’Brien TD, to ignore a
recommendation made by the
O ce of the Planning Regulator
(OPR).
A submission, made by planning
and environmental consultants,
MKO, on behalf of Mary Harriet
Madden, was replicated verbatim
by three Galway City Councillors:
Declan McDonnell (Ind, former PD,
former Mayor), Niall McNelis (Lab,
former Mayor) and Noel Larkin
(Ind).
All three letters appeared on the
Council website within hours of
Madden’s submission. In the case
of Councillor McDonnell, his
submission appeared just one
minute after Madden’s, suggesting
that he had access to that letter
before his own submission.
The letters were submissions on
the Galway City Development Plan
2023-2029, which was adopted by
the Council in November 2022 and
ignored the recommendations of
the OPR relating to 26 separate
elements of the plan, including
provisions to build homes on the
Galway fl oodplain.
Having been alerted to the plan
by the OPR, the Minister issued a
draft direction in January of this
year, reversing the decision to
ignore the recommendations of the
OPR. In his letter to the council,
O’Brien stated that the plan “fails
Copyc. McNelis, McDonnell nd Lrkin submi similr
submissions o Miniser’s reversl of plnning zones
By Conor O’Crroll
to set out an overall strategy for the
proper planning and sus