Ex-FG minister namedin rezoning vote claim

Mahon tribunal:Former minister Seán Barrett has been identified by the Mahon tribunal as the senior Fine Gael politician who allegedly would not support plans to rezone the old Baldoyle racecourse in north Co Dublin following a newspaper report which suggested the developers stood to gain £10 million from the project.

Lobbyist Frank Dunlop had provided the name of the Fine Gael politician in writing to the tribunal while giving evidence earlier this month.

Yesterday tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon identified Mr Barrett as the politician whose name had been provided by Mr Dunlop. He said there was no inference of wrongdoing on the part of Mr Barrett.

Mr Dunlop had said both he and the former Fianna Fáil politician, the late Liam Lawlor, had endeavoured to seek the support of a senior Fine Gael councillor for the Baldoyle rezoning. However he said that after the newspaper report appeared on the morning of the vote, Mr Lawlor phoned to say "matters were predictably going down the Swanee". He said Mr Lawlor had maintained the Fine Gael politician would not vote for the rezoning in any circumstances.

Mr Dunlop said there were concerns that "if that person made it (his opposition) known to some of his colleagues or if it became known otherwise, that it could carry with it a factor of three, five or six votes".

Judge Mahon said that where a person's name emerged in evidence when they were not a witness in that particular module or where notice has not been given, the practice of the tribunal had been to ask the person naming the individual to write down the identity of the person concerned.

He said that the person concerned would then be notified and that it was the intention of the tribunal to release the identity once the person had an opportunity to consider the matter. He said this procedure should not be taken as suggesting that there was any wrongdoing involved.

Meanwhile, the former Fine Gael TD, Michael J Cosgrave, said he had no recollection of letters sent to the then chairwoman of Dublin County Council which the tribunal has heard were aimed at resurrecting the Baldoyle rezoning plan after it had been defeated on procedural grounds.

Counsel for the tribunal Des O'Neill SC said the letters were part of a co-ordinated exchange of prearranged correspondence.

The tribunal has heard that queries in letters relating to standing orders and the answers had been drafted by Mr Dunlop and Mr Lawlor.

Mr Dunlop has alleged that he got Mr Cosgrave and Fianna Fáil councillor Liam Creaven to sign the letters to the chairwoman.

Mr Cosgrave said had no recollection of the letters and that in his opinion he did not sign them. Mr Creaven also said he could not recall signing the documents.