Minister extended tax relief deadline after request by Healy-Rae

The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, extended the deadline for tax relief on multi-storey car parks built outside Dublin following a representation from Mr Jackie Healy-Rae TD.

The Kerry South TD is one of four Independent members of the Dail on whom the Government depends for its survival.

Mr Healy-Rae made a representation of behalf of Mr Dermot Murphy, a Cork businessman who wants to build a contentious multi-storey car-park and apartment complex in Kenmare, Co Kerry.

The TD, whose constituency takes in Kenmare, wrote to Mr McCreevy on August 16th saying: "Can I appeal to your good office to make certain that the time here for this tax incentives would be extended in the case of Kenmare?", according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act. The Minister acceded to his request on September 25th, five days before the deadline expired.

Under the legislation developers had to incur 15 per cent of the total cost of building a multi-storey car-park by September 30th this year to avail of additional tax-free allowances. The projects have to be completed by the end of December 2002.

Mr Murphy owns the Super Valu supermarket in Kenmare and also another supermarket and business in Castletownbere, Co Cork, where he lives. He has obtained planning permission for a two-storey car-park that could cater for more than 70 vehicles on Shelburne Street in the centre of the town.

The development, which will also involve 20 apartments, was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

The extension of the deadline was also supported by Castlebar Urban District Council which called on the Minister at its September meeting to extend the deadline and wrote to him on September 26th, the day after he extended the deadline. Mayo's county manager, Mr Des Mahon, had written the previous month to the secretary general of the Department seeking an extension to aid unspecified projects in Castlebar, Ballina and Westport.

Mr McCreevy's advisers supported the extension, saying: "We feel there is a strong case for relaxing this deadline." The Department of the Environment and Local Government was also in favour of the extension, according to Finance officials.