State papers: FF were warned of rogue developers 30 years ago
It has emerged today that Fianna Fáil members complained to the then taoiseach Charles Haughey about rogue developers, who supported the party, thirty years ago.
Confidential files, just released, show a memo was passed around Government ministers in 1980 about the scourge of private developments being left uncompleted around the country.
Under the 30-year rule, Irish Government State papers can be released to the public.
One story, which has emerged, concerns complaints by Fianna Fáil rank and file to the late Charles Haughey about rogue developers.
The high-level complaints drew attention to Fianna Fáil's promise in its local election manifesto the year before to crack down on "cowboy" builders and make them pay to put everything right.
At the time, there were 120 abandoned housing estates around the country with safety concerns over sewerage, public lighting, footpaths, roads and open spaces.
But while Fianna Fáil vowed ahead of the polls to stump up £3m (€13.2m) towards a clean-up, they became worried that using taxpayers' money would only encourage builders to ignore their obligations.
The taoiseach insisted local authorities were responsible for policing developers.
A Government memo showed the Cabinet later agreed on a £500,000 (€2.2m) scheme of grants that year to be reviewed at a later date.
