Early 1998: The small grocers' group, RGDATA, asks the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, to limit the size of supermarkets being built in out of town sites.
May 26th: Mr Dempsey submits memo to Cabinet proposing to cap supermarket floor space at 3,250 square metres gross. Cabinet decides final limit should be decided between the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Mr Dempsey.
June 2nd: Lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop, who represents the developer of Quarryvale and other major retail projects, writes to Taoiseach criticising what he believed was an unnecessarily restrictive measure. RGDATA supports the proposal.
June 3rd: Mr Dempsey tells Cabinet the planned cap has been increased to 3,500 square metres gross. According to the Government, this plan was noted at this meeting "by decision". Officials in the Department of the Environment begin draw up a draft directive and press release.
June 4th: A member of Cabinet tells a client of Mr Dunlop of the Minister's intention, according to Mr Dunlop. The client tells Mr Dunlop, who sends a fax to Mr Dempsey's home at 8.30 p.m. arguing against the move. He sends a copy to the Taoiseach at St Luke's in Drumcondra saying: "Many thanks for your great help."
In his fax to Mr Dempsey, Mr Dunlop argues for a cap of just over 3,700 square metres net. Planners with experience say this is equivalent to between 4,250 and 4,700 gross compared with the 3,500 now proposed by Mr Dempsey.
June 5th: Mr Dunlop writes to Mr Dempsey and the Taoiseach again on the subject.
June 8th: Handwritten fax from Mr Owen O'Callaghan sent to Mr Dempsey from Mr Dunlop's office. The fax is dated June 6th and arrives before 9 a.m. on Monday, June 8th. A copy is sent to the Taoiseach.
Mr O'Callaghan objects strongly to the proposed cap, saying it would seriously affect the Quarryvale development and projects at Blackpool and Mahon in Cork. He proposes a cap of 3,500 square metres net - estimated at between 4,000 and 4,550 gross.
June 8th: Letter sent to Mr Dunlop from the Taoiseach's office. The content is unknown.
June 9th: Mr Dempsey issues directive limiting size of supermarkets to 3,000 square metres net - equivalent to between 3,450 and 3,900 gross. This is dramatically less than what was sought by Mr O'Callaghan and Mr Dunlop but independent planners say it is more favourable to them than the original proposal.
June 16th: Mr Dempsey's office writes to Mr O'Callaghan outlining the decision, saying this was an interim measure, that there would be a study to determine what planning guidelines should be drawn up, and suggesting Mr O'Callaghan might wish to comment further as those guidelines were being prepared.