Landowner denies councillors sought cash

The owner of land in Dundrum, Dublin told the Mahon tribunal yesterday that no councillor ever asked him for payment in relation to rezoning.

Speaking on the Pye lands module of the tribunal's investigations into planning matters, Aidan Kelly, who was managing director of Pye Ireland, said he had attempted to secure the rezoning of the lands for commercial development.

He told the tribunal he approached local councillor Paddy Hickey about having the land rezoned in January 1991 to allow for commercial development. Mr Hickey supported a motion on the rezoning and it was passed at the draft stage of the county's development plan in May. However, at a later stage, motions were tabled by Cllr Olivia Mitchell to change the zoning again.

Mr Kelly then sought to secure a commercial zoning with the further help of Mr Hickey. He said he must have been introduced to Frank Dunlop by Mr Hickey but he had no recollection of it.

He said he had no memory of ever meeting Mr Dunlop though evidence was produced of several meetings. "I have no recollection, but I accept whatever meetings I had are recorded there, that they took place," he said.

He denied comments made earlier to the tribunal by Mr Dunlop, that he knew the only way councillors would be kept on side was to pay them. "No councillor ever asked me for a payment or even implied or insinuated they required a payment," he said.

He said he thought he did pay Mr Dunlop £4,000 (€5,000) with a cheque made to cash.