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WOULD HAVE GOTTEN EARLSFORT ADDRESS CHANGED FOR FREE SAYS GREEN TD
Dublin Mid-West Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, who represents the Clondalkin
and Lucan areas, has stated that Seamus Ross of Menolly Homes effectively
"threw money down the drain" if he paid former Fianna Fáil
TD Mr Liam Lawlor over £40,000 to get the postal address of Earlsfort
housing estate changed from Clondalkin to Lucan. "I would have gotten
the Earlsfort address changed for free had I been elected at the time,"
stated Deputy Gogarty. "There would have been a compelling and above
board case for persuading An Post to change the address. Indeed Mr Ross
could probably have done it himself. The lands at Earlsfort are in Balgaddy
and that part of Balgaddy was always considered to be in Lucan. Earlsfort
estate is also in the Lucan Electoral area, and residents vote in Lucan.
Admittedly, it is close to the border. Another estate a few hundred yards
away is in the Clondalkin electoral area. But no-one is suggesting that
Mr Lawlor also changed the electoral boundaries." Deputy Gogarty
described the developer's motivation in getting the address changed as
cynical and wholly driven by profit. "There was a certain snob value
promoted which is highly insulting to the people I represent in Clondalkin.
However the fact of the matter is that Earlsfort is, and always has been,
part of Lucan. There is every reason to suggest that the postal address
of Earlsfort would have been changed to Lucan on behalf of the residents
in any case. Then the home buyers would have saved the money rather than
paying it pointlessly to the developer."
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