The restart of the Flood tribunal revealed which politicians were seeking legal representation, as well as new details about who owns Jackson Way. Paul Cullen reports.
The politicians who were granted representation at the Flood tribunal yesterday received money from Mr Frank Dunlop, the lobbyist and former government press secretary will tell the tribunal.
More specifically, they were paid money in connection with attempts to rezone lands at Carrickmines in south Dublin, he will say.
When asked by their parties two years ago, most of the politicians concerned said they did get money from Mr Dunlop. But their accounts, in terms of the amounts paid, the dates and the purpose, differ significantly from Mr Dunlop's version. Most importantly, the politicians will tell the tribunal the monies they got were political contributions and were not related to rezoning.
Mr Dunlop says he paid £5,000 to Mr John O'Halloran, a former county councillor who was expelled from the Labour party for defying the whip on zoning motions. Some of this was paid in relation to the rezoning of the Paisley Park lands in Carrickmines, he claims.
Senator Don Lydon, who signed the motion to rezone Paisley Park's lands in 1993, received £3,000, according to Mr Dunlop.
Senator Lydon told the Fianna Fáil inquiry in 2000 he got £1,000 for election campaigns from Mr Dunlop in 1991/92 and, before this, £450 for election literature.
Another of those who sought representation yesterday, Senator Liam Cosgrave, got £2,000, according to Mr Dunlop.
This appears to tally with Mr Cosgrave's assertion to the Fine Gael inquiry in 2000 that he got £2,000 in cash from Mr Dunlop in 1992/93. He told the inquiry he got a further £2,000 in 1997/99.
Mr Dunlop has given the tribunal details of a second alleged payment of £2,000 to Mr Cosgrave.
Councillor Tony Fox is alleged by Mr Dunlop to have received £2,000 in connection with Paisley Park. Councillor Fox told the Fianna Fáil inquiry he never received any donations from Mr Dunlop.
The lobbyist also says he paid £3,000 to the late councillor Tom Hand of Fine Gael, who co-sponsored the motion to rezone the Paisley Park lands, and £1,000 to the deceased Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Jack Larkin.
That leaves two councillors who appear on Mr Dunlop's list of alleged payments in relation to Paisley Park and who did not seek representation.
One of these is former Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Colm McGrath, who told The Irish Times earlier this week he intended appearing without legal representation. The remaining unidentified councillor, who received £1,000, is a member of Fianna Fáil.
Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Larry Butler, who applied unsuccessfully for representation, did not receive money from Mr Dunlop in connection with Paisley Park.
Yesterday's brief hearing was significant for two reasons. First, it revealed publicly the identities of many of those who will be giving evidence in this module of the tribunal's investigations. But for every lawyer who sought representation for a client yesterday, there was at least one other who remained silent on a watching brief, presumably for other clients who have an interest in the tribunal's work.
Second, the ownership of Jackson Way, the company that holds the Carrickmines lands, became clearer. The company's lawyers identified the lawyer, Mr John Caldwell, as "one of the ultimate beneficial owners" of the company.
Mr Caldwell has long been suspected as the controlling force behind the company, but up to now he has only said that the lands were held "to his order".
Only two weeks ago, an English businessman, Mr Alan Holland, turned up at proceedings in which Jackson Way is claiming compensation for 20 acres of the lands that were compulsorily acquired for the South-Eastern Motorway.
Mr Holland said he was the sole shareholder and director of Jackson Way. But the Sunday Independent has shown that real control lies hidden behind a complex offshore structure with Mr Caldwell and Mr Jim Kennedy.
Mr Kennedy, who did not seek legal representation yesterday, is presumed to be the other beneficial owner.