A draft report on the controversial sale of Glen Ding woods in Co Wicklow is expected to be brought before the Dail within weeks, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr Jim Mitchell, has said.
Confirming that his report would be completed shortly, Mr Mitchell added, however, that fresh evidence produced at yesterday's committee meeting meant the document would probably have to be amended.
The meeting heard evidence from Mr Michael Stokes, sales director of Tracey Enterprises Dundrum Ltd, that he met the then Minister of State at the Department of Energy, Mr Michael Smith, in 1988 and indicated the company would be prepared to pay £1 million for the land.
Mr Smith, now Minister for Defence, told The Irish Times later he had "a recollection of such a meeting taking place" but, with the passage of time, could not recall details of the discussion.
The 147-acre site at Glen Ding woods was sold by private treaty to Roadstone in December 1991 for £1.25 million. It has already emerged that another company, Hudson Brothers, approached the Department of Energy before Roadstone, expressing an interest in procuring the property. But the company, being told the land was not for sale, was never given a chance to make a bid.
According to evidence given at yesterday's committee meeting, there was no record of the meeting between Mr Stokes and the Minister. However, a note of appreciation was sent from Tracey Enterprises to the Fianna Fail TD Mr Chris Flood for helping to arrange the meeting with the Minister to discuss proposals for quarrying in the Blessington area. This letter was forwarded to the Department and filed.
Tracey Enterprises wished to make a bid and was disappointed on discovering that the Glen Ding woods site had been sold to Roadstone. No explanation as to why the sale did not go to public tender was provided to the firm.
Saying there was no case for not approaching all the interested parties, Mr Mitchell added that the reason why it was negotiated by private treaty remained a mystery. Previous ministers had assured the Dail it would go to public tender.
In his evidence, Mr Frank Corcoran, of Blessington Heritage Trust Ltd, said there was evidence of systematic favourable treatment to Roadstone, dating back to the 1970s. The Heritage Trust took legal proceedings to prevent the quarrying of Glen Ding by Roadstone. Mr Corcoran pointed out that there were 1,415 objections to having the site rezoned. The Department transferred 14.22 hectares on the site to the Office of Public Works after its archaeological value was assessed.