Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

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County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Contae Dhún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin

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Location

centerMap highlighting County of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown

Statistics

D (DR proposed)

127.31 km²

Population (2006)

193,688

Website: www.dlrcoco.ie

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae Dhún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin) is one of three local authorities in the greater Dublin Ireland area that caters for a population of approximately 192,000 persons. Its electoral wards include Ballybrack, Blackrock, Dundrum, Dún Laoghaire, Stillorgan, Glencullen and Stillorgan. Twenty eight members serve on the Council.

Local authorities in Ireland are local branches of the Irish Government responsible for the provision of an extensive range of public services in your area. In addition, local authorities promote the interests of your local community, including the social, economic, environmental, recreational, cultural, community or general development of your area.

Councillor Eugene Regan a member of the Fine Gael was elected Cathaoirleach on 11th June 2006. Regan, a resident of Monkstown, has been selected as a Fine Gael candidate in the next Irish general election along with Councillor John Bailey and former politician Seán Barrett in Dún Laoghaire constituency. Owen Hammond is the County Manager.

1 Councillors
2 Compensation to Jackson Way Properties
3 Criminal Assets Bureau Investigation
4 References
5 External link

[edit] Councillors

[edit] Overall Party Representation

Fine Gael 9 (+1)
Fianna Fáil 7 (-3)
Labour 6 (no change)
Progressive Democrat 1 (-2)
Green 5 (+3)
Independent 1 (+1)

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on June 11, 2004.

Q = made quota

[edit] Ballybrack

Donal Marren, Fine Gael (Q)
Denis O'Callaghan, Labour (Q)
Larry Butler, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Carrie Smyth, Labour (Q)
Maria Bailey, Fine Gael (Q)
Tom Kivlehan, Green

[edit] Blackrock

Niamh Bhreathnach, Labour (Q)
Maria Baker, Fine Gael (Q)
Barry Conway, Fianna Fáil
Nessa Childers, Green

[edit] Dundrum

Ciaran Fallon, Green (Q)
Tony Fox, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Aidan Culhane, Labour (Q)
Trevor Matthews, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Jim O'Leary, Fine Gael (Q)
Pat Hand, Fine Gael

[edit] Dún Laoghaire

John Bailey, Fine Gael (Q)
Cormac Devlin, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Eugene Regan, Fine Gael (Q)
Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Progressive Democrat (Q)
Kealin Ireland, Green
Jane Dillon Byrne, Labour

[edit] Glencullen

Lettie McCarthy, Labour (Q)
Maria Corrigan, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Tom Joyce, Fine Gael

[edit] Stillorgan

Gearoid O'Keeffe, Independent (Q)
Gerry Horkan, Fianna Fáil (Q)
Louise Cosgrave, Fine Gael

See Irish local elections, 2004 for a national overview.

[edit] Compensation to Jackson Way Properties

Agreement^[1], subject to confirmation of ownership, was reached on compensation to be paid by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to Jackson Way Properties in the sum of €12,860,700 for the compulsory purchase in October 1998 of its freehold interest in the lands (subject to certain wayleaves and rights of way), adjoining the route of the South Eastern Motorway Scheme (M 50). The Council agreed to pay costs and expenses properly incurred by Jackson Way Properties in relation to preparation and submission of its claim.

The Award total is broken down as follows;

Land Taken €9,691,000
Injurious Affection €2,296,700
Disturbance €873,000

It is now the view of the Criminal Assets Bureau that €4.2 million of this award represents the present value of corrupt enrichment by the property owners.

A company called Paisley Park Investments Ltd were registered as full owners in 1992 and the land was transferred to Jasckson Way Properties in 1993, the beneficial owners of which are believed by the CAB to be arcade owner James Kennedy and solicitor John Coldwell.

[edit] Criminal Assets Bureau Investigation

The CAB successfully obtained a High Court order on July 26, 2006 freezing land assets of 107 acres at Carickmines, County Dublin owned by Jackson Way Properties Ltd and preventing their sale^[2]. CAB contended that these lands had been rezoned on December 16, 1997 by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council from agricultural to industrial after Frank Dunlop bribed and made corrupt payments to councillors to secure their support in the rezoning vote. That vote increased the value of just 17 acres of the property from €8 million to €61 million. CAB has interviewed and took statements from Frank Dunlop and will use him as a witness against a number of property developers.

The lands in question have been the subject of investigation by The Mahon Tribunal in 2003 and 2004.

If this case succeeds the potential money realised by CAB will be substantially more than the yield from gangland criminals since 1996. Other similar cases are likely to ensue involving lands investigated by The Mahon Tribunal.