The £30,000 (€38,092) given by Sean Quinn Group Ltd to people campaigning against a rival company's cement factory, planned for Co Meath, was given anonymously after the action group placed advertisements seeking funding in the national newspapers, a spokeswoman for the group has said.
Ms Marie Goonery, of the Ballinabrackey Residents' Action Group, said it discovered the involvement of the Sean Quinn Group only after the company planning the factory learned of the matter.
Lagan Cement Ltd, of Belfast, plans to build a £40 million cement factory near Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, which would produce 450,000 tonnes of cement per annum and create 200 jobs. A decision from An Bord Pleanala is expected on April 20th next, following a ruling in the High Court earlier this week.
It is understood Lagan Cement discovered the Quinn involvement in funding the action group when examining documents secured by way of an order of discovery. Cheques sent to the action group included one from the Barge Pub in Dublin, which is owned by the Quinn group.
In the High Court on Thursday, Mr Justice Quirke refused an application from the Quinn group for an injunction restraining An Bord Pleanala from deciding on an appeal against the Kinnegad plant, pending determination of proceedings it is taking. In the proceedings, the Quinn group is claiming An Bord Pleanala cannot determine the appeal until a 1985 EU directive is implemented into Irish law.
Mr Justice Quirke said the Quinn group had not come to court with "clean hands" and was involved in "doubtful practices" in funding the protest group through three "surreptitious" payments of £10,000 each.
an Quinn told The Irish Times yesterday his group had "very good reasons" for objecting to the Kinnegad plant and that these would be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. "When I built my first cement factory we had a lot of objections from within the industry, from competitors, and there wasn't a word about it. It was objected to by the opposition, as was my glass factory."
Mr Quinn said his company decided it would object to the Kinnegad factory after "an issue was made of our funding the other party. We decided to do it ourselves".
Mr Quinn said there was a history of disputes between him and Mr Kevin Lagan, of Lagan Cement. "We have never objected to planning permission before in our lives," he said. "Kevin Lagan has done lots of things to me he should not be proud of. This is the first thing I've done to him that I am not proud of."
A spokesman for Lagan Cement said it was not the first time Mr Quinn had alleged the company had behaved badly towards him at some time in the past. "He has failed to substantiate these comments whatsoever. There is no basis to them. I think he is just trying to muddy the water."
