Wright's request over council rezoning recalled

Fianna Fáil TD Mr G.V. Wright asked an architect to submit a rezoning submission to Dublin County Council on behalf of local landowners in north county Dublin, the tribunal has heard.

Mr Edward Hogan told the tribunal he had not invoiced Mr Wright for the work, carried out in late 1991, nor had he issued an invoice.

At the time, he was doing a "big job" for the Wright family on a commercial development in Malahide.

The decision not to charge was his own, he said. The submission was of an outline nature and if it proved successful, he believed he might gain some extra work "down the road".

Mr Wright had approached him to make the submission on behalf of landowners Mr Denis Mahony and Mr Noel Fox in December 1991, just before the closing date for submissions on the Dublin draft development plan.

The tribunal is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the rezoning of Mr Mahony's lands at Drumnigh, near Portmarnock, in 1993.

However, Mr Fox withdrew an application to have his adjoining lands rezoned in the same year. Mr Frank Dunlop has alleged he paid bribes to four county councillors to get their lands rezoned.

Because of the lack of time and the fact that he knew the area well, he didn't walk the lands before drafting the document. A map of the lands was left into his office, but he wasn't sure by whom.

Mr Hogan said he had no contact with Mr Mahony or Mr Fox in relation to the submission or their lands. He recalled that when talking to Mr Wright on one occasion, the politician seemed to be on the phone to one or other of the landowners.

Mr Liam McGlynn, a senior executive planner with Fingal County Council, told the tribunal the lands owned by Mr Mahony were rezoned for a second time in 1998/99.

They had originally been rezoned in 1993 for residential development at a density of one house per hectare, but this density was increased to 12 houses per hectare.

He agreed with Mr Gerard Hogan SC, for Mr Mahony, that this change came about solely as a result of a recommendation from the county manager.

There were "sound reasons" for the increase in density, which was based on orderly planning and development in Malahide and Portmarnock, he said.

Mr Denis Mahony's son, John, told the tribunal he was not involved in the lobbying of councillors before a vote to confirm the rezoning of his father's land in September 1993.

Mr Dunlop has told the tribunal that two councillors told him that Mr John Mahony was approaching councillors regarding the matter.

However, Mr John Mahony said yesterday this wasn't true. He did keep a "watching eye" on the vote by attending the council meeting; his father was out of the country at the time and had asked him to attend. He had no involvement with or connection to his father's lands at Drumnigh.

The tribunal has adjourned hearings until Tuesday week, when Mr Denis Mahony will give evidence.