Gilmartin changes account of Harney meeting

Mr Tom Gilmartin has retracted his testimony to the Mahon tribunal in which he says he told the Tánaiste, Ms Harney about a contested meeting in Leinster House.

Mr Gilmartin claims he was summoned by Mr Liam Lawlor to a meeting with the then taoiseach, Mr Charlie Haughey and a number of cabinet members in February 1989. He alleges he was asked for £5 million by an unnamed man outside this meeting and threatened with being thrown in the Liffey when he refused.

Last week, the Co Sligo-born property developer told the tribunal he had met Ms Harney at a housewarming party in Dalkey, south Dublin and told her "what was going on".

However, today he conceded he had been mistaken about the timing. On reflection, he realised the housewarming party where he met Ms Harney had taken place in December 1988, before the Leinster House meeting.

He said he knew Ms Harney was opposed to one of his schemes, either Bachelor's Walk or Quarryvale, but he raised problems he was having with Mr Lawlor with her. She did not respond.

He accepted he may have confused this party with another event in Dalkey that took place later in 1989 and said he wished to retract his earlier evidence.

Ms Harney, who was Minister of State for the Environment at the time, has confirmed she met Mr Gilmartin and he told her of his difficulties. Her spokesman said that was the sum total of their "relatively brief" conversation.