Dunlop says fresh evidence backs his claims

Mahon Tribunal: The lobbyist Mr Frank Dunlop has discovered fresh evidence which he says substantiates his account of intensive contact with county councillors at the time of a controversial rezoning vote.

Phone records discovered by Mr Dunlop in his garage last week show "extensive" contact with councillors during a seven-week period in 1993, according to the tribunal.

At this time, Mr Dunlop was lobbying councillors to support a rezoning of lands at Drumnigh in north county Dublin. The tribunal is investigating his claim to have bribed four councillors in connection with this rezoning.

As a result of this evidence, 11 new parties, including a number of prominent politicians, will be called to make statements and give evidence to the tribunal. However, Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, stressed that none of those people is subject to allegations of corruption.

Lawyers for a number of politicians complained about Mr Dunlop's "fortuitous" and "surprising" discovery, and one called for the tribunal itself to search the lobbyist's house for any further documents.

The records supplied by Mr Dunlop, which cover the period September 1991 to December 1994, list incoming calls to his office as set down by his secretary when he was out.

For the period March 9th to April 30th, 1993, the records list a total of almost 180 calls from politicians. Senator G.V. Wright rang him 11 times, Cllr Seán Gilbride 16 times, Cllr Liam Creaven 12 times, Cllr Michael Joe Cosgrave 13 times, and Mr Liam Lawlor 47 times. Other frequent callers were Cllr Therese Ridge (17 calls), Cllr Tom Hand (29 calls) and Cllr John O'Halloran (14 times).

Mr Dunlop retracted his reference to Mr Lawlor when it was pointed out that he had not mentioned the politician, who was not a councillor at the time, in connection with the lands at Drumnigh.

The vote to rezone the Drumnigh lands owned by Mr Denis Mahony took place in April 1993.

Mr Dunlop told counsel he discovered the documents "by happenstance" under some old golf clothing in his garage last Wednesday. They had probably been removed along with other records when he moved out of his city centre offices three years ago. He hadn't known he was in possession of those documents, and he didn't know where the equivalent records from 1994 to 2000 were to be found. If he had known of them, he would have "hotfooted" it to the tribunal because they substantiated what he had been saying in evidence.

The records also show a further burst of contact from councillors in September 1993 at the time of a vote to confirm the Drumnigh rezoning. Among the calls logged in this period are 11 from Cllr Liam Creaven, eight from Cllr Colm McGrath and six from Cllr John O'Halloran.

Mr Dunlop said it was likely the calls listed for this period related to the Drumnigh lands.

Mr Cormac Ó Dúlacháin SC, for the late Cllr Hand, said Mr Dunlop was "incapable" of searching his own house for documents and the tribunal should do it for him. The tribunal could no longer rely on "traditional methods" to ensure that all documents were provided.

But Mr Colm Allen SC, for Mr Dunlop, said this was "surprising" coming from Mr Ó Dúlacháin. How long had it taken the Hand family to disclose the existence of Cllr Hand's bank account in Australia, he asked.

Ms Dillon said it was for the tribunal to decide on what procedures to follow.