Redmond 'interfered' to benefit developers, tribunal told

Mahon Tribunal: The former chief valuer of Dublin Corporation, Mr Michael McLoone, has accused George Redmond of interfering in the work of colleagues for the benefit of developers.

Mr McLoone said Redmond, the former assistant Dublin city and county manager, often interfered in his work, even though he was not in the normal chain of command. He said Redmond would ring him and say: "Sell that land, and sell it fast".

Asked to be specific, the witness said Redmond had given instructions for the sale of land near the Red Cow in west Dublin.

He was very anxious for the land to be sold, saying that if it was not it would be squatted upon. A hotel now occupied this land, the witness said.

In another case, Redmond talked another assistant county manager, Mr Paddy Morrissey, into buying 87 acres of land owned by Brennan and McGowan at Castaheaney, according to the witness.

Mr Morrissey did not want to buy the lands, but Redmond "talked him into it".

"You rang me every Friday to tell me how fantastic the lands were," Mr McLoone said. People from the inner city would be rehoused on the lands, Redmond had promised.

Redmond, representing himself, said he knew nothing about this. The city manager, Mr Frank Feely, would have had the final say in all these matters.

He said he was being trailed as a kind of "Svengali" among the other managers.

Mr McLoone said it was "common knowledge" that Redmond was going to work for Green Property upon his retirement in 1989.

Redmond himself may have said this at the time.

Redmond said the witness was referring to a rumour. He rarely spoke to Mr McLoone.

Mr McLoone said Redmond worked for the company for three days.

Redmond said this was not true. Before his retirement, he had made no decision as to what to do. There was no truth in the rumour.

He had applied for a publicly advertised position in Green Property in 1985 but had decided to stay on in the corporation.

"You obviously kept the door open," Mr McLoone remarked.

Mr McLoone said "rumour had it" within Dublin Corporation that Redmond had been reluctant to give staff the instruction to open negotiations with Mr Tom Gilmartin on the sale of council land at Quarryvale.

He said Redmond's interference in this case had come about as a result of the fact that he was advising Green Property.

Redmond said the witness was showing his prejudice against Green Property. He had done nothing improper.

Earlier, Mr McLoone said he did not feel he could go to the city manager, Mr Feely, with any allegations. In such a case, he would go to his immediate superior.

Asked why this was the case, he said Mr Feely operated a pyramidal form of management, and communicated mainly with his two deputies.

The witness said he believed Mr Gilmartin's allegations to be true.

As for the developer's claim that he had been subjected to a demand for £5 million, he thought this figure was very high. He believed the story but thought the amount was incredible.