DCC councillors blast Land Development Agency Bill

At a special meeting of Dublin City Council yesterday evening several councillors called on the Government to stop the progress of the Land Development Agency Bill which is currently going through the Dail.

The meeting, which was requested by People Before Profit councillor Tina MacVeigh, saw eight different motions debated with Sinn Féin and People Before Profit opposing the bill in its entirety.

The Green Party, Social Democrats, Labour and Independents criticised the loss of councillors’ control over who local authority land is disposed.

The LDA bill will allow the Government to transfer land owned by State companies like the HSE and CIE to the LDA.

Local authority land could also be transferred to the LDA without the vote of councillors.

Fianna Fáil’s motion welcomed the LDA bill but expressed concern about councillors’ loss of powers while only Fine Gael supported the bill in its entirety.

All motions except the Fine Gael motion were passed.

Councillor Tina McVeigh said:

“The Land Development Agency is not fit for purpose, it is nothing but a vehicle for the privatisation of public land.

“The proposed legislation needs to be wholly rejected.”

Independent Councillor Cieran Perry said Government may regard councillors as an inconvenience but they “are the democratically elected representatives of our communities”.