The decision by Tipperary County Council, announced yesterday, to not contest the judicial review of the Dundrum House section 5 declaration substantiates my genuine concerns around the IPAS contract for this site that was given to a proxy company that was only incorporated in January. The ownership of this site is still being contested in the High Court. I fully accept and recognise the Government's obligations to international protection applicants, but they must be met in a way that is legal, transparent and sustainable. The Department's current position is untenable. It has executed a flawed contract on a legally uncertain site through a proxy company and has ignored valid environmental and planning concerns. I urge the Taoiseach to immediately suspend the contract pending the outcome of the High Court proceedings, launch an independent audit of the due diligence and procurement process, and halt further expansion of the site until full planning and environmental compliance is verified.

I thank Deputy Murphy. As he will be aware, Tipperary County Council declared the site an exempted development last January. As a result and following on from that, a contract was entered into with the Department. I believe it was last Monday that the local authority effectively gave into the judicial review applications and, as a result, the section 5 declaration will be quashed. My understanding is it will be quashed because the screening carried out was deficient. Obviously, the Department would need to consider the consequences of that court decision and, more imminently, Tipperary County Council must figure out what happens now, because it is no longer an exempted development. I will assess it within the Department and we will be discussing it with Tipperary County Council. I will revert to the Deputy on it.