No comment from former councillors on payments

Two former Dublin county councillors have declined to answer questions on whether they received money from Mr Frank Dunlop, saying they expected to be called before the Flood tribunal.

Mr Cathal Boland (FG) and Mr Larry Butler (FF) are among a number of former councillors contacted by The Irish Times yesterday. They were asked: "Have you ever received money from Mr Frank Dunlop or any property developer in return for votes on planning matters? Or have you ever received money from Mr Dunlop or property developers to defray election expenses?"

Mr Butler, a Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county councillor, answered "No" to the first question, but would not answer the second. "I can't elaborate on that," he said. "I am co-operating with the tribunal and anything I have to say I will be saying to Mr Justice Flood."

Mr Boland said it was his "understanding that Justice Flood has asked anyone who might be called before the tribunal not to comment".

Mr Colm McGrath was not taking phone calls but left an answer that he had "no comment to make at the moment".

Mr Sean Lyons, Independent, said he was "long out of the system, but I didn't make a thing out of it".

Mr Michael Kennedy (FF), a Fingal county councillor, said he had not received money from any property developer. "I never received anything from Mr Frank Dunlop or Mr Owen O'Callaghan for anything," he said.