Wicklow councillors have accused the Minister for the Environment of "forcing a rezoning splurge in north Wicklow", following Mr Dempsey's intervention into the drafting of the county's development plan.
The accusation follows a letter from Mr Dempsey's Department to the council, seeking a higher density on land to be rezoned around Greystones in the north of the county. This is the second letter from the Minister outlining his views on the development potential of land around Greystones.
The letter dated August 27th was shown to councillors yesterday. In it the Minister said lands knows as Darcy's land, Evans's land and land at Kindlestown Upper and Delgany village, zoned for one house to the acre in the draft plan, could accommodate a much higher density.
Yesterday was the last day for public submissions on the draft plan. Councillors arriving for the meeting were confronted by 150 protesters representing more than 20 community groups under the umbrella of the Wicklow Planning Alliance, protesting against aspects of the plan.
The Fine Gael councillor for Greystones, Mr George Jones, said he was "astounded that the Department is again involving itself. The Minister has a request before him, from ourselves, for an extension of time to formulate the development plan. What the letter from the Department is saying is that we will not get the time until we put thousands of houses into the Greystones, Delgany section. The Minister is holding out a threat."
Ms Mildred Fox, an Independent TD, said she agreed with Mr Jones. "The Minister says go ahead as long as you accommodate 22,000 people in Greystones but I don't think he is listening to the people on the ground and I intend to speak to him personally about it," she added.
A Fianna Fail TD for Wicklow, Mr Dick Roche, also said he was angry with the Department's letter. "Successive ministers have put no resources into the area and in the last 25 years Greystones has seen just 12 yards of public road being built. We had the population before the water supply and we are still waiting for a second-level school."
Mr Colm Kirwan (Democratic Left) said the letter was "insufferable cheek in the light of sustainable development criteria, while Mr Tommy Cullen (Labour) said it was "scandalous intervention to circumvent the role of a local authority in planning matters.
"The Minister should come clean about who has the political clout to put pressure on a Minister to send out all these letters. This is the second letter in a few months, it is a blatant attempt to force this council to go on a rezoning splurge," he said.
The councillors voted to inform the Minister that his comments would be noted as part of the public consultation process.