Taoiseach listed as witness in rezoning inquiry

The Mahon tribunal is to begin hearing evidence in public from witnesses at the beginning of May in its investigation into the controversial rezoning of land at Quarryvale in west Dublin in the early 1990s.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will be a witness in this module.

The tribunal's website has listed nearly 80 witnesses who are to give evidence as part of this investigation.

Mr Ahern is listed first in the schedule of witnesses, which is set out in alphabetical order.

There is no indication when Mr Ahern will be called to give evidence, and in particular, whether this will be before the anticipated date of the general election in late May. The tribunal has said it will not conduct public hearings for approximately two weeks prior to polling day.

Among those also on the list of witnesses for the Quarryvale module are former taoisigh John Bruton and Albert Reynolds. The former minister and EU commissioner Pádraig Flynn is also scheduled to give evidence. Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte is also on the list of witnesses.

The tribunal says on its website that hearings into the Quarryvale module will commence on Monday, April 30th. It says that witnesses will not be heard before May 1st.

The tribunal had started public hearings into the Quarryvale rezoning investigation in November 2005, but the process concluded after a few days on foot of legal action initiated by Cork property developer Owen O'Callaghan. The Supreme Court last month dismissed Mr O'Callaghan's legal challenge.

The rezoning of the lands at Quarryvale allowed for the subsequent development of the Liffey Valley shopping centre.

In an opening statement at the beginning of its public investigations into Quarryvale in 2005, the tribunal said developer Tom Gilmartin claimed Mr O'Callaghan informed him that nearly £80,000 (€101,000) had been paid to Mr Ahern.

In the statement read out prior to the court challenge, the tribunal quoted Mr Gilmartin as saying he was told that the money had been paid in two separate amounts of £50,000 and £30,000.

Mr Gilmartin said he was informed that Mr Ahern, who was minister for finance at the time, had been instrumental in blocking a tax break for a rival shopping centre being developed in Blanchardstown.

Mr Ahern and Mr O'Callaghan have denied this allegation. Mr Ahern reminded the tribunal that he had successfully taken a libel action in relation to earlier claims that he had received money on behalf of Mr O'Callaghan

The tribunal's plans to restart hearings could be hit by a separate legal action being brought by Hazel Lawlor, the widow of the late Fianna Fáil politician Liam Lawlor.