The contractor who hung a banner proclaiming: "No to War, No to Nice, No to American Terrorism and People before Profit" from a Dublin quay building site, previously carried out work at the American Embassy in Ballsbridge, it has emerged.
The work involved the relaying of granite pavements around the embassy following the installation of iron railings and of a granite security wall. While Mr Mick Wallace was contracted to the then Dublin Corporation, the city council last night confirmed that the works had been funded by the embassy. The council could not say what the cost of the work was but suggested that "the granite would not have come cheap". Other sources suggested a figure in the region of €500,000.
Last night Mr Wallace stressed the work had been contracted to the corporation. However he told The Irish Times he had no difficulty in working for the Americans. His argument was, he said, only with US foreign policy which he said was "about dropping bombs on people while profit was the end game".
Mr Wallace claimed victory in a case taken against him by Dublin City Council over the erection of the banner, which was settled in the High Court yesterday. While the settlement was not read out in court, Mr Wallace said Dublin City Council has withdrawn its legal action and the banner would stay in place until the referendum on Saturday.