RTE Investigates: Irish Planning Extortion

I wouldn't be surprised if John Callaghan was video this too...

Yes they can: an NGO is just an organisation that is not owned by the government. So every business (except sole-traders), every sports club, every church, every lobby group is a NGO.

Some NGOs do charitable work and get government subsidies for it. Some don't.

Verona Murphy, outside An Bord Pleanala, this whole thing stinks

Surly to god the local authorities can do the same checking that Rte done to see are these a registered ngo and if not pay no attention to the observations, also how far away from proposed development these two boys we’re living, and one supposedly a blue shirt person and wonder will Leo sweep this under the carpet and put him on the ticket for election as a reward for helping planning along to shorten the housing crisis.

This is the bellend that has been blocking hi rise in Dublin.

"We use Paris as our model, it's the most densely populated city in the world".

It's not. That is Male followed by Manila.

Paris is 32nd

Even Levallois Perret would only be number 10.

This story is crazy. He was a Fine Gael election candidate.

The same FG that have been sitting on Planning reform laws for 10 years.

The Mahon Tribunal in the late 1990s pushed FF and FG to implement urgent planning reform. 2023 and the reform legislation is shelved while in review.

The power swap have utterly destroyed this country. No wonder there was a housing crash and there is a housing crisis.

Can the 2 men be charged with blackmail or anything ??

Yes but these two brothers would escape that provision. Claiming to be objecting for environmental issues and then taking a consultancy role to advise on improving environmental matters. I'm sure they would argue that taking them on board as a consultant would then allow them to withdraw appeal as they have input on an ongoing basis to attempt to improve the development. It's a brilliant scheme really and as they said themselves, they are doing nothing wrong. Untouchable.

There are many running the same appeal scheme but most would be taking underhand payments to go away without the cover of being a consultant etc.

7K or feed him? I'd pay the 7K.

Hopefully a file has been opened on that very matter... Maybe even DSP would have a look to see if benefits are being claimed that they have no entitlemebt too if working as consultants etc.

bots 🤦‍♂️

These lads are a pair of gougers obviously. In any normal country they would be facing serious prison time. The fact that one of them has serious political links would normally mean serious implications for that political party including bringing into question their position in government. Not Ireland though. No. In my experience developers and the likes or real estate agents have always operated in a murky world. So the gougers gouging the biggest gougers in the country ( the property developers) is almost funny.

This is nothing to do with the housing crisis btw. Nothing. I wouldn't be letting FFG try to use it to deflect.

I am curious. I voted FG for over 20 years. All my family did since the foundation of the state. But I was able to stand back and criticise FG politicians and the party when I felt they were wrong. Are you incapable of that? Is politics so entrenched for you? It must take serious blinkers.

You would think so and also that it would be a law right now or that existing laws would cover such an eventuality

And I would say that is probably the most likely outcome. Although it will be interesting to hear about the threshold for possible fraud and if the contents of the RTE programme satisfies it . Unfortunately for the two brothers, all of the cases they have objected to are traceable via the county council websites and the ABP website.

Simply perusal of the "letterhead" name pulls up several planning cases and appeals, and in some cases they appealed as individuals in addition to what seems to be a makey up name. They do not seem to be an Environmental NGO and part of the RTE investigates programme suggests via the interactions they were trying to establish a name for themselves in the planning arena, particularly putting it up to ABP ! Laughable

Of course the Planning Authorities know this charade goes on. And lodging a comment at the initial planning stage is just a bookmark to appeal a case, or a shakedown that some might call it. Environmental protection groups tend to be serious in their concerns and not accept payoffs and there are enough Environmental Governmental bodies anyway.

The legitimacy of an individual's right to express concerns about a development (most of which are local anyway) should not be mixed up with this type of carry on.

This is just another example of the terrible legal system we have which works to serve those with their nose in the troff instead of the public.

If the legal system was able to process these judicial reviews in a timely fashion instead of 2 years then these two gangsters wouldn't be able to operate.

Its the same with many other areas. Direct provision centers full with people for years while their cases are delayed and delayed legally.

Insurance premiums high because of dubious legal claims brought by the legal profession to get their slice of the pie.

A revolving door for crime and criminals, i dont need to say any more about that.

If you take the entire legal system which is dinosaur not fit for purpose and reform it with modern standards you could both save money and provide to the people at they need.

The system I'd crap and this shouldn't go on but I'm not going to cry for the property developers either.

Programme smells alittle bit government supported perhaps to help with introduction of new planning bill which might take away some powers from the people.

The programme made developers out to be heros providing housing for the people.

The same property developers are well able screw their own customers when the going is good so not a bit of pity for them and no its not a cost passed on to customer. They will charge the highest price they can get per unit regardless of profit levels.