Mahon tribunal: Former Fianna Fáil cabinet minister Pádraig Flynn has denied any knowledge of an internal Department of the Environment memo which suggested that the material in it was being compiled for a meeting between developer Philip Monaghan of Monarch Properties and Mr Flynn in relation to the rezoning of land.
The tribunal heard yesterday that the ministerial diary in the Department of the Environment recorded three meetings between Mr Flynn and Mr Monaghan, in May 1989, November 1989 and February 1991.
Giving evidence Mr Flynn said he knew Mr Monaghan and had visited his company's development at The Square in Tallaght, Dublin.
However he said that only the November 1989 meeting was recorded in his personal diary.
Mr Flynn described the meetings as "courtesy visits" and said he could not recall what had been discussed.
He also said that he did not know at the time that Monarch was involved in the development of lands at Cherrywood in the Carrickmines Valley in south Dublin.
The tribunal is currently investigating the rezoning of nearly 240 acres of land owned by Monarch at Cherrywood.
Mr Flynn told tribunal senior counsel Pat Quinn that he did not know that three weeks before the first meeting with Mr Monaghan on May 24th, 1989, that Dublin County Council had received approval from the Department of the Environment to draw up contract documents on a sewage scheme for the Carrickmines Valley.
He said that such business would be dealt with between the council and officials in the department.
He also said that he had no recollection about Mr Monaghan ever discussing land rezoning.
Mr Quinn said that an internal Department of the Environment briefing document suggested that the material was being compiled for a meeting between Mr Monaghan and Mr Flynn in relation to the rezoning of land.
Mr Flynn said that he was not aware of the contents.
He said that he did not know what was in the mind of his staff and that as minister he had no involvement in land rezoning for Monarch or anybody else.
He also said he had no recollection of Monarch ever asking him to intervene with anyone else regarding rezoning of land.
The tribunal heard of internal Monarch documents which spoke of needing to meet the minister and of requiring political input in relation to issues such as the sewage scheme and the alignment of the Southern Cross motorway in south Dublin.
Mr Flynn said that while political decisions were certainly taken, these did not relate to "mundane issues" such as road alignments.
The former minister said that in May 1989 he had been honorary treasurer of Fianna Fáil.
However, he said that he did not know that Monarch had been a financial contributor to the party or that that it had made donations to Charles Haughey and a number of other politicians during elections in 1989, 1991 and 1992.
