Cabinet signs off on development levy rebate for builders

The Government plans to repay builders’ development levies as part of a package to boost housing in Dublin and Cork, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said last night.

The construction industry has singled out levies paid to local authorities as a barrier to new house building.

Mr Kenny confirmed that the Government will introduce a local development charge rebate scheme for large housing projects in both cities. Addressing the Cork Chamber Dublin dinner, Mr Kenny said the scheme was part of a package to increase housing supply that the Cabinet signed off on yesterday.

Former Musgraves chief executive and chairman Hugh Mackeown, architect of the SuperValu and Centra retail franchises, took Cork Chamber's outstanding achievement in business award at the dinner in the Doubletree Hilton – formerly the Burlington Hotel – at which it entertained 550 guests.

Paying tribute to Mr Mackeown, Cork Chamber president, Barrie O’Connell, said that over his 40 years in Musgraves, he had been the driving force behind the development of the SuperValu and Centra franchises.

He noted that those businesses had grown from 49 stores in 1979 to 660, with a presence across Ireland and in Spain

“Musgraves has grown turnover from €7 million to in excess of €4.6 billion and supports some 45,000 jobs. This is a real Cork success story,” added Mr O’Connell.

Mr Mackeown served as managing director, chief executive and chairman of Musgraves over 40 years with the company.

John Higgins, partner in accountancy firm EY, which sponsored the dinner, argued that going back to its foundation in 1876, Musgraves success demonstrated how successful homegrown business can be. "The importance of family businesses to Ireland's economy is crucial," he said.