Eamon Gilmore TD

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Railing off car park in St Michael's Hospital unacceptable

Issued : Wednesday 31 October, 2007

The Labour Party Leader, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, has asked Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to take enforcement action against a developer who has railed off a portion of the car park at St Michael's Private Hospital.

Deputy Gilmore said that this morning when hospital staff arrived for work they found that a section of the car park at St Michael's Private Hospital has been railed off presumably to facilitate some development work on the site.

Earlier this year, the car park was sold to a private developer who applied to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for planning permission for a development on the site. Planning permission was refused by the council and is now under appeal to An Bord Plenala.

Deputy Gilmore, who has strongly opposed the sale of the car park, said today that until there is valid planning permission no development work of any kind should be permitted on the site.

"This includes any development work while the planning application is under appeal to An Bord Pleanala."

Deputy Gilmore has asked Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council planning department to inspect the site and to instigate the necessary enforcement action.

"I believe strongly that this site should remain in hospital use and that it is wrong to hive it off."