The secretary general of the Department of the Environment, Mr Niall Callan, has no plans to reapply for permission to build a house in a scenic location on Sherkin Island, Co Cork.
This follows a ruling by An Bord Pleanála on an appeal by An Taisce against Cork County Council's decision last December to grant permission to Mr Callan and his wife, Mary, for the contentious house at Slievemore.
The appeals board noted that the Cork county development plan strongly discouraged new houses in scenic and coastal areas, and also restricted the development of individual second homes on the islands.
Refusing permission, it said: "The proposed development would contravene materially these development objectives and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Callan said both he and his wife respected the board's decision, and would not be contesting it. "They have a job to do, and that's what the system is there for."
The Callans bought the site at Slievemore in 1997 with a pre-existing outline permission for a house. When they applied for approval to build, Cork County Council granted it subject to conditions.
However, An Taisce, which has been taking an increasingly hard line against one-off housing in the countryside, lodged an appeal, arguing that the council was contravening some of the key objectives of its development plan. It has denied that the applicants were singled out because of the position Mr Callan holds.
A spokesman said the plans contradicted the principles of sustainable development.