Former FF councillor denies asking developer for £100,000

A former Fianna Fáil county councillor has rejected as an "outrageous lie" and a "wild fabrication" an allegation by developer Mr Tom Gilmartin that he sought £100,000 (€126,973) in return for planning favours.

Mr Finbarr Hanrahan said he "totally and utterly refuted" the claim by Mr Gilmartin that he made the demand in return for his support for the rezoning of Quarryvale in west Dublin.

Mr Gilmartin told the tribunal earlier this year that Mr Hanrahan demanded the money at a meeting in Buswell's Hotel in Dublin in December 1988. He claimed rival developer Mr Owen O'Callaghan, Mr Ambrose Kelly and Mr Liam Lawlor were at the bar shortly before he met Mr Hanrahan.

Yesterday, Mr Hanrahan expressed the belief that the developer's "ludicrous" claim arose from vindictiveness and "a fit of angry pique". He said Mr Gilmartin had aggressively pursued him for his support for the project. He phoned him at home repeatedly and became "an annoyance" to his family.

The former councillor, who represented Lucan/Palmerstown between 1985 and 1999, said he refused to support the developer's "far-fetched" plans for a shopping centre at Quarryvale.

As a local councillor, he felt it his duty to see that the nearby site at Balgaddy was developed as soon as possible.

Mr Hanrahan said Mr Gilmartin claimed to have connections in the party and said Mr Hanrahan's stance would not go down well within it.

Reluctantly, he agreed to meet Mr Gilmartin. During a short meeting, he told Mr Gilmartin his proposals were more suited to the UK, but the developer became incensed. Mr Gilmartin became threatening and abusive, and the two men parted on bad terms because of the developer's aggressive behaviour.

Ms Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, pointed out that in his first statement to the tribunal in 2001, Mr Hanrahan referred to the meeting with Mr Gilmartin taking place in a conference room in Buswell's Hotel. In his later statement, filed this year, he said it happened in the bar.

The witness said he may have been mistaken in thinking they went to another room.

Ms Dillon also pointed out that in his first statement, Mr Hanrahan stated that Mr Gilmartin was "not very happy" when he refused to support the project. However, in his later statement, she said, Mr Hanrahan refers to the developer becoming aggressive, bullying and incensed.

Ms Dillon said Mr Hanrahan had filed this statement after receiving the statement of Mr O'Callaghan, who said he was in Buswell's when Mr Gilmartin met Mr Hanrahan. Mr O'Callaghan has also told the tribunal that Mr Gilmartin informed him about the alleged demand for money on that day.

Mr Hanrahan said he had understated the situation in his first statement; Mr Gilmartin had been bullying and aggressive.

While he accepted that he met Mr Gilmartin in Buswell's, the date put forward by the developer was an "impossibility". At that time in December 1988, he was on holidays in Co Kerry.

Mr Ambrose Kelly, a director of Project Architects, said he could not remember attending any meeting in the hotel of the type described by Mr Gilmartin. At the time, he was living in Ashbourne, Co Meath, and would have been on Christmas holidays. It wasn't his practice to go back to Dublin during the Christmas break unless it was absolutely necessary.

Earlier, Mr Liam Lawlor told the tribunal there was no truth in Mr Gilmartin's allegation that he had withheld full payment for a Mercedes car from garage owner Mr Gerard Brady in return for a planning favour.

Mr Brady agreed with Mr Lawlor that he had never asked the politician for support for any planning matter. There was "no truth" in Mr Gilmartin's assertion to the contrary.