O'Herlihy to stand over claim on planning payments

Bill O'Herlihy, the public relations consultant and RTÉ television sports presenter, is to give evidence that a senior building company executive told him planners had to be bought to get a planning issue through Dublin County Council.

Mr O'Herlihy will say Richard Lynn of Monarch Properties told him £100,000 had to be paid to councillors to get a material contravention or a planning permission through the council. At the time of the alleged remark, in 1991/92, Mr O'Herlihy was carrying out PR work for Monarch.

There was confusion last week after it was revealed that Mr O'Herlihy made the allegation in a private interview with tribunal lawyers but did not mention it in his statement. Tribunal lawyers also pointed out that Mr O'Herlihy's statement stated: "Never once was the question of payment ever mentioned at any meeting I attended".

Yesterday however, Paul O'Higgins SC, for Mr O'Herlihy, said an "unfortunate misunderstanding" had occurred. His client had thought his statement was to deal only with his formal involvement with Monarch but the misunderstanding had led to an "understandable incompleteness" in the situation as seen by the tribunal.

Mr O'Herlihy at no time intended to "move back" from the information he had given the tribunal in private session, to the effect that he was told it was impossible to get planning permission without paying money.

Patricia Dillon SC, for the tribunal, said an explanatory letter had been received from Mr O'Herlihy in which he was "at pains" to explain that he did not intend to resile from the information he had provided.

In his private interview, Mr O'Herlihy said Mr Lynn had confirmed that Monarch had paid money in relation to the rezoning of the company's land at Cherrywood in south Dublin. Mr Lynn allegedly told him the way the system worked was that a lead councillor was picked in each of the parties. The matter was discussed with these people and an estimate of the amount of money needed to buy the votes was made. The money was then provided to the lead councillors who did everything after that. He said Mr Lynn mentioned a figure of £100,000.

The tribunal is investigating the rezoning of almost 240 acres of land owned by Monarch at Cherrywood, in the Carrickmines Valley. The company made payments totalling over £500,000, almost half of it to 69 politicians, in connection with the rezoning.

Former Fianna Fáil councillor Jim Daly told the tribunal yesterday how lobbyist Frank Dunlop, who worked on Cherrywood after Mr O'Herlihy's involvement ended, turned up unexpectedly at his house and left him an envelope containing £2-3,000. He acknowledged that he was "more than surprised" to receive the money and said he spent it on an unsuccessful attempt to get re-elected.

"It could have been two and it could have been three [ thousand]."

Mr Dunlop has alleged that the money was given for Mr Daly's support for a rezoning but Mr Daly yesterday denied this. He agreed it was strange that Mr Dunlop had given him the cash and said he never expected it to happen.

Fine Gael councillor Anne Devitt said she saw nothing wrong with the proposal to rezone Cherrywood. At a time when there was a need for industrial development and there was very little residential zoned land in this part of Dublin, it represented a good use of land. Asked why she supported a motion in 1993 that rezoned Monarch's land but not the rest of the land in the Carrickmines Valley, Ms Devitt said it made absolute sense to have higher-density development around the proposed town centre to be sited on Monarch's land.

Ms Devitt acknowledged receiving £100 from Monarch in 1993 for a St Patrick's Day coffee morning fundraiser and £240 in 1996 for a golf classic.

Former Labour minister Mervyn Taylor said it was very unlikely that he had solicited donations from Monarch. He acknowledged the company made a contribution of £300 to Dublin south-west Labour and £500 to him personally in 1992 but said he had no recollection of these payments.