The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, lacks credibility in his belated announcement of new laws to root out corruption in local authorities, the Fine Gael spokesman on agriculture, Mr Ivan Yates, said yesterday.
The new legislation will make it an offence for members of the public to offer payment to council officials for private work carried out on their behalf.
However, a Department spokesman said the legislation referred to was the Local Government Bill, published last May and containing ethics provisions for local authority members and officials. Regulations already existed in this area, the spokesman said.
The Labour Party's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, called on Mr Dempsey to make a full statement on a report in yesterday's Irish Times that the Government was finalising plans for a greater Dublin authority.
"Minister Dempsey should make a full statement saying what stage the proposal is at; if any specific proposals have been submitted to Government; what kind of body it will be and, most importantly, if it will be an elected body."
Mr Gilmore said it was significant that the first inkling of the Minister's plans came as Mr Dempsey was threatening to abolish Dublin Corporation.
"The Minister must now spell out what he has in mind. The public is entitled to know if this is a proposal of substance."