A luxury golfing holiday home being built by businessman Denis O'Brien at Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny is in breach of the terms of its planning permission, it has emerged.
The 658 sq m (7,000 sq ft) building is valued at about €7 million. Mr O'Brien has applied for retention of significant structural changes made contrary to planning permission for the luxury house currently under construction.
The house is situated in an exclusive development called The Foxes Covert close to a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf-course on the 1,500-acre estate outside Thomastown.
Mr O'Brien applied for planning permission in January 2005 for the construction of a five-bedroomed two-storey dwelling house with a garage. Permission was granted in April 2005 by Kilkenny County Council which charged Mr O'Brien a development contribution of €33,250. He received a €1,316 refund having been inadvertently overcharged.
The house was designed by Dublin architects de Blacam and Meagher. A spokesman declined to comment.
Mr O'Brien has requested retention permission for a number of changes including the addition of a 97sq m (1,044 sq ft) basement and a guest apartment.
Changes to the design of the roof and windows have also been requested.
Philip O'Neill, director of services with Kilkenny County Council, confirmed that the retention application had been received and was "being validated" but he could not comment at this stage.
The centrepiece of the Mount Juliet estate is a luxury country house hotel, run by the Conrad Hotel group, but the owners have sold off some of the land for private housing. About 90 houses, which cannot be used as permanent homes, are dotted around the estate.
Some are sold ready-built but in a few cases, the estate has sold sites, including one to Mr O'Brien, subject to planning permission.
Local auctioneer Gerard Walsh said that a house of that size and quality in such a sought-after location would be worth about €7 million.
Mount Juliet is one of a number of golf clubs in the State selling land for private houses. The estate is owned by Tim O'Mahony who also owns Toyota Ireland.