Councillor says he was in no one's pocket over rezoning

Fine Gael Councillor Peter Brady told the tribunal that he was in no one's pocket when he voted for the rezoning of land at Quarryvale for retail development.

The development, which became the Liffey Valley shopping centre, was being promoted by lobbyist Frank Dunlop for developers Owen O'Callaghan and Tom Gilmartin. Mr Brady, a retired film distributor, became a councillor for the Lucan area in 1991, the tribunal heard.

Mr Dunlop had said that at a crucial vote on Quarryvale in December, 1992 he arranged for Fine Gael councillor Teresa Ridge to sit beside Mr Brady and "give him a nudge" to ensure he voted for Quarryvale.

Mr Brady said however, that he was not even sitting in the same row as Ms Ridge and he had no recollection of Ms Ridge shouting "for, Peter, for", as had been claimed by Mr Dunlop.

He said he listened to Ms Ridge's views on Quarryvale and the views of other people, but made up his own mind. "I had no intention of listening or doing what she said," Mr Brady said.

He was questioned about a lunch he attended with Mr Dunlop, Mr O'Callaghan and auctioneer Gerry Leahy in September 1993. Initially, he told the tribunal he was invited to the lunch "just to bring up the numbers".

However, under questioning from counsel for the tribunal, Patricia Dillon SC, he apologised and said he had discussed the future of Palmerstown Rangers, a local football club, and the possibility of Mr O'Callaghan supplying some land to the club. The land wasn't supplied, he said.

He denied ever receiving money from Mr Dunlop or Mr O'Callaghan. And he also denied telling former Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes that another Lucan councillor, Brian Fleming, had been offered £100,000 to "deliver" the vote on Quarryvale.