Cosgrave says he wants fair play

The former cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Liam Cosgrave, has accused the tribunal of protecting the lobbyist Frank Dunlop.

In often testy exchanges with the tribunal yesterday Mr Cosgrave maintained he was looking for fair play from the inquiry. He said that once again he was the victim of an unsubstantiated allegation by Mr Dunlop, who he described as "the perjuring parrot".

The tribunal is currently investigating allegations made by Mr Dunlop that he paid £1,000 to Mr Cosgrave and three other councillors in 1993 to secure their support for the rezoning of land owned by the Christian Brothers at Balheary near Swords.

Mr Cosgrave has emphatically rejected the allegation.

Tribunal counsel Eunice O'Raw said it had discovered that Mr Cosgrave had purchased four An Post saving certificates for £1,000 in the summer of 1993.

Mr Cosgrave said he could not recall where the money to buy the certificates had come from. However, he said that at the time he was receiving money from his law office, the Oireachtas and the county council.

He said he would have had plenty of cash.

Mr Cosgrave insisted that Mr Dunlop had never spoken to him about the lands at Balheary. "I am once again the victim of an unsubstantiated allegation by Frank Dunlop in relation to lands at Balheary.

"Four councillors - two of them conveniently dead - are alleged to have got money. I again reject this allegation," he said.

Mr Cosgrave said that in evidence Mr Dunlop had not said where or when this money had allegedly been paid.

Mr Cosgrave clashed with tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon over whether he should be allowed to read his statement into the record. He also queried whether his statement had been circulated by the tribunal to other parties.

Judge Mahon said that the statement would be dealt with in the course of evidence.

The former cathaoirleach said he was being discriminated against and that the tribunal was protecting Mr Dunlop.

Judge Mahon said the tribunal had first asked Mr Cosgrave for a statement last January and had subsequently issued five reminders. He said the document had finally arrived last week and was circulated by post on Monday.

Following a second clash later the judge asked why the former politician was being aggressive.

He told Mr Cosgrave not to shout at him and that his aggressive attitude was unnecessary.

Mr Cosgrave said he was not an aggressive person and that all he wanted was fair play.

Mr Cosgrave said he had received a political donation in 1991 from Joe Tiernan, a developer with an option on the Balheary lands.

He described Mr Tiernan as a friend and a developer with a good track record.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fox rejected allegations by Mr Dunlop that he received £1,000 to support the rezoning as "complete rubbish and fantasy".