The new Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, was questioned on two reports on housing and building land in his first Dáil Question Time.
The Labour spokesman on the environment, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said he appreciated that Mr Roche had less than 24 hours to consider its contents, but he wondered why the Goodbody report was not being published.
He also asked why an NESC (National Economic and Social Council) report on the issue was taking so long. "An article in a newspaper some weeks ago, purported to contain a version. I do not know what validity attached to that version of the report, of what was included in the NESC report, including a recommendation that State assistance be provided to first-time buyers by way of deposits on houses and on certain measures related to multiple home ownership and so on.
"Is a row in the NESC between certain interests delaying publication of the report? Is the Minister prepared to ask the NESC to publish the working documents currently under consideration by it?"
Mr Roche said he could not speculate on whether there had been disagreements within the NESC and if that explained the delay in publishing the report. "There are diverse views within the NESC. The deputy will be aware from the procedures to which the NESC operates that papers will be circulated."
Mr Roche said he thought the Goodbody report was completed in December 2003. "However, that was but one input into what is a multi-faceted approach to studying the particular problem. Deputy Gilmore can be assured it will be published with the NESC report," he added.
