Quarryvale hearings postponed until after election

Mahon tribunal:The planning tribunal has postponed public hearings on the rezoning of Quarryvale until after the general election.

Tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon said that the decision not to proceed with the planned resumption of hearings on Quarryvale had been taken "in the light" of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's weekend decision to call an election.

"In following this course, this tribunal is adopting the precedent of other tribunals in not conducting public hearings in the period leading to a general election," Judge Mahon said in a brief statement at yesterday's session.

"Having regard to yesterday's announcement [to call an election], the members of the tribunal consider it appropriate that the tribunal should not recommence a lengthy module in circumstances where it would only be possible to take evidence for three or four days," he added.

The tribunal then rose and will not sit again until May 28th. Tribunal lawyers will then read their updated opening statement on Quarryvale. More than 80 witnesses, starting with property developer Tom Gilmartin, followed by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, will be called from May 29th onwards.

The decision means that the early stages of Mr Ahern's election campaign will not be marred by adverse publicity from the opening statement of the tribunal. It is clear from recent media leaks that part of this statement deals with the Taoiseach's finances in the early 1990s.

Hearings in the Quarryvale Two module first started in November 2005 but were interrupted by a series of court proceedings taken by developer Owen O'Callaghan and others. The original opening statement contained allegations from Mr Gilmartin that Mr Ahern had been paid £80,000 in connection with the site.

Mr Gilmartin said that Mr O'Callaghan, his business partner at the time, had claimed he paid the money to Mr Ahern in two amounts of £30,000 and £50,000. The Taoiseach and Mr O'Callaghan have denied any suggestions of wrongdoing.

The way was finally cleared for the hearings to go ahead last Friday after a case taken by the widow of former Fianna Fáil TD Liam Lawlor was dismissed.

The tribunal had originally said that it would not sit for a period of "about" two weeks before a general election. This would have allowed about a week's sittings in advance of the May 24th poll. The tribunal did not sit during the 2002 general election campaign, or during the 2004 European and local election campaigns.