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“how many developers did you go out with in 1993 Ms. Elliott?”
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| Fine Gael Councillor Mary Elliot leaving the Tribunal |
MS MARY ELLIOTT, a Fine Gael councillor (1985-1993), was questioned by the Tribunal’s Counsel Patricia Dillon SC as to why she neglected to mention to a Fine Gael internal inquiry her meetings with developer Owen O’Callaghan.
The Fine Gael Inquiry came on foot of persistent rumours in 2000 that Fine Gael Councillor Tom Hand (deceased) had requested payments of lobbyist Frank Dunlop in return for his co-operation.
Frank Dunlop distributed large ‘donations’ to local Councillors in West Dublin prior to council planning votes in May 1991, through Shefran Ltd. And his public relations company, Frank Dunlop and Associates. The funds for these payments to Councillors were transferred from Owen O’Callaghan’s company Riga Ltd and through Barkhill Ltd (formerly owned by Tom Gilmartin – the progenitor of the Liffey Valley project).
Ms Elliott was unable to recall the details of any of three dinners organized by Frank Dunlop and Owen O’Callaghan in Le Coq Hardi and Roly’s Bistro before two crucial town planning votes in 1991 and 1992. The dinner was attended by Fine Gael County Councillors Elliott, Olivia Mitchell, Anne Devitt and Fine Gael Senator Therese Ridge.
Ms. Dillon SC: “Do you think it’s likely that that’s a meeting prepared in advance of the Quarryvale vote for the purposes of discussing the upcoming December 1992 vote?”
Ms. Elliott: “I honestly don’t know, as I said I can’t even recall being at the dinner.
Ms. Dillon SC: “That would make sense wouldn’t it Ms Elliott, that if the developer whose biggest development and the lobbyist are having dinner with four county councillors a week before the critical Quarryvale vote, it’s likely that one of the matters that was discussed at that was the upcoming Quarryvale vote, wouldn’t you agree with that?”
Ms. Elliott: “I would agree with that all right, yes.”
Ms. Dillon: “Yes. Do you have any recollection of that meeting and what was discussed at it?”
Ms. Elliott: “I don’t have any recollection of it at all.”
The Tribunal also questioned Ms Elliott on a list by Frank Dunlop of Councillors whose “definte support” could be relied upon in votes on rezoning Quarryvale. The list contained the names of Ms. Elliott, Mrs. Olivia Mitchell, Mrs Ridge, Mr. Liam T. Cosgrave and a number of other Councillors from The Green Party, Labour, Sinn Fein and Fine Gael.
Ms. Dillon SC also queried Ms Elliott about her Council votes in May 91 and Dec 92 in relation to rezoning the land from a 100,000 sq ft industrial project to a 250,000 retail one. This rezone, which was eventually carried by vote of Dublin County Council, increased the value of the land owned by Barkhill from 4.5 million pounds to upwards of 19 million pounds.
ENDS
II and the Art of Imperial Statecraft 
UPDATE:
With the release of the Mahon Report a number of prominent councillors and TDs have been implicated in receiving payments from developer Owen O’Callaghan prior to a rezoning of Quarryvale.
“the inquiry found a third member of the current Dáil, Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell , had accepted an “inappropriate” donation of £500 from Mr Dunlop during the 1992 election campaign […]
But the tribunal was critical of Ms Mitchell for retaining a cash donation from Mr Dunlop.
The inquiry said it was “was satisfied that, as a matter of probability, Cllr Mitchell received a sum of IR£500 from Mr Dunlop at the time of the 1992 general election”.
“At that time Cllr Mitchell had had meetings with Mr Dunlop and [property developer Owen] O’Callaghan in relation to the Quarryvale project, and was a supporter of that project.
“While the available evidence would suggest that Cllr Mitchell herself did not solicit the contribution, she nonetheless accepted it in the knowledge of Mr Dunlop’s close association with the Quarryvale rezoning project. In all those circumstances it was inappropriate for her to have accepted the cash donation.”
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/rabbittes-return-of-2k-donation-commendable-188077.html#ixzz1pwXKKvME