Businessmen 'all over Mayo property speculating, trying to make millions' - TD
There are businessmen coming around rural communities and speculating on properties which they can turn into IPAS facilities, a Mayo TD has claimed.
Deputy Paul Lawless elaborated: "They are from the east, the north and all parts of Ireland coming around rural villages in souped-up cars, sports cars and Range Rovers, speculating on warehouses, closed hotels and nursing homes.
"That is the reality and the government has facilitated this. I have raised this on many occasions.
"If the Minister for Justice wanted to change this, he would remove the planning circumvention immediately.
"In Ballina, for example, in the former school site of St. Mary's Secondary School, the people were told it is a nursing home. There was even a sign saying that a nursing home was coming soon.
"Meanwhile, the planning circumvention for a section 5 was submitted.
"The government is treating the people like fools. I have raised this with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and, every time, they and the government says that they basically agree and will do something on it.
"Meanwhile, businessmen are driving around rural communities in sports cars, convertibles and Range Rovers speculating and making millions of euro off the back of what is happening.
"Up to the end of last October, nearly €1 billion was spent on IPAS. Therefore, last year's budget for IPAS will have exceeded €1 billion. In 2024, it also exceeded €1 billion.
"An extraordinary amount of money is being spent on the IPAS system. Imagine what we could do with an additional €1 billion every single year. We could build the Galway ring road, for example.
People, including taxpayers, are frustrated, for a number of reasons. One is the litany of financial failure by the Justice Minister's department in relation to contracts and the oversight of spending.
"These are not my words; it is in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. What the report reveals is extraordinary.
"One company overcharged VAT by €7.5 million, and only €1.5 million was recovered. The report found serious issues with compliance and the potential for the State to overspend by millions of euro on contracts.
"What is happening is extraordinary."