Mahon tribunal:A property developer whose company was linked to attempts to redevelop the Baldoyle racecourse site in the early 1990s told the tribunal yesterday that he lost interest in the project and would have done so even sooner only for the enthusiasm of the "powerful and well-connected" lobbyist, Frank Dunlop.
Brendan Hickey, managing director of Davy Hickey Properties Ltd (DHPL), also said he "implicitly trusted " Mr Dunlop, who had a high standing in society at the time. He did not require him to account for payments made to him and had no reason to question him.
This included £10,000 in unspecified expenses paid to Mr Dunlop in relation to work done on the possible rezoning of approximately 400 acres at Baldoyle, as well as £30,000 in "legitimate" political donations relating to the separate development of a business park at Citywest.
Mr Hickey told tribunal counsel Desmond O'Neill SC that he was initially sceptical of the opportunity at Baldoyle, which appeared a "little bit too good to be true", partly since the owner of the lands, John Byrne, was a successful developer himself.
But he was also aware of the enthusiasm of Mr Dunlop for the project, who had approached him and David Shubotham, a director of Davy Stockbrokers in 1991, saying he could get an option on approximately 400 acres of land at Baldoyle "at a good price". Mr Dunlop was a "valued member" of the team developing another site at Citywest, Mr Hickey said.
His influence included the ability to organise a meeting about Citywest between the chief executive of an American multinational and the taoiseach of the day within 24 hours in spring 1992, he said.
But following his assessment of the feasibility of the project and his investment in other developments, Mr Hickey claimed his interest in the Baldoyle lands had effectively ended by October 1992. This was due in part to local opposition, the difficulties of obtaining rezoning and planning permission, as well as infrastructural problems associated with development of the lands.
He had not informed Mr Dunlop of this decision at the time and would not have had such a "blunt" conversation, he acknowledged.
But Mr Hickey denied ever being a shareholder of the company behind the bid to rezone the land at Baldoyle, Pennine Holdings Ltd. He had always understood that Frank Dunlop was the owner of the company.
This was despite the belief of Pennine's solicitor, underlined by Mr O'Neill yesterday, that he was being instructed in negotiations on the option for the Baldoyle lands by Mr Hickey and the solicitors' bills were paid by DHPL. He had no recollection of ever meeting the late Liam Lawlor TD in relation to the Baldoyle lands.
Referring to £20,000 in political donations paid by DHPL to Mr Dunlop in June 1991 at the time of a local election, he said Mr Dunlop had indicated it would be appropriate to make the "legitimate" political donations and he accepted this. He did not ask which politicians received this money.
Mr Hickey's evidence to the tribunal continues today.