Gilmore denies suppressing reviews

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has denied that independent planning reviews of seven local authorities by the previous government have been suppressed.

He said former minister for the environment John Gormley had announced independent inquiries into the local authorities in June 2010.

When he left office more than seven months later, they had still not begun, he added.

The new Minister, Phil Hogan, had considered the very considerable cost of retaining consultants to conduct the inquiries required some further consideration and requested a review.

“The review will be completed following the publication of the retail planning guidelines which are due for publication before the end of April,’’ said Mr Gilmore.

“The Minister has committed to issuing a public statement outlining in full the complaints that are at issue, the response, and any appropriate actions to be pursued regarding further policy and guidance in line with the commitments in the programme for government and the relevant recommendations in the Mahon tribunal.”

Mr Gilmore was replying in the Dáil this morning to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who asked why there had been no outcome of the reviews initiated by Mr Gormley. He accused Mr Hogan of suppressing the reviews.

He said that when Mr Hogan took over as Minister, he had an extensive dossier prepared by planning officials in the department and a series of reports from each of the managers in the local authorities.

Mr Hogan, he added, also had terms of reference for a panel of planning consultants to carry out independent reviews in the local authorities.

Mr Martin said questions needed to be answered as to why such an independent review was suppressed. “It is a very serious issue that demands a serious response from the Government,’’ he added.

On Twitter this afternoon, Mr Gormley rejected the Government's account. "Phil Hogan did drop the external/independent planning inquiries. Fact. He's talking bull on Newstalk. Consultants had been appointed," he tweeted.