Sir, - I write to express my disappointment at the reported comments (The Irish Times, July 27th) from the Fine Gael spokesman on the Environment, Mr Alan Dukes, to the effect that it is "bad politics to have the Ministers (for the Environment and Local Government and Finance) in total control of who gets into the scheme and who doesn't".
Mr Dukes is well aware that in the case of the Integrated Area Plan-based urban renewal scheme introduced earlier this year, it was local authorities which selected the towns for which such plans were prepared and submitted to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. These plans were then subject to detailed assessment by an independent expert advisory panel, which made recommendations on the tax designations to apply in the interests of achieving the objectives set out in the plans. The panel's recommendations were accepted in full by the Government and are being implemented on that basis without modification. Details of the panel's deliberations and recommendations were published widely, extending even to my Department's website.
The renewal plans which local authorities have been asked to prepare for selected smaller towns will be subject to the same rigorous process of independent assessment as applied in the case of the Integrated Area Plans under the urban renewal scheme. It is the Government's intention on this occasion also to adopt the recommendations emerging from that process and implement the new scheme in accordance with those recommendations. It is our intention in the case of this new scheme also that the process of selection and designation will be as open and transparent as possible in the interests of ensuring that everyone involved is fully aware of the basis on which selections for inclusion in the scheme have been made.- Yours, etc.,
Robert Molloy TD, Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Custom House, Dublin 1.