More politicians are to be investigated by the Flood tribunal's inquiry into corrupt payments for planning in the Dublin area, it emerged yesterday, but it may be some considerable time before their names are released.
"The tribunal is investigating information received about a significant number of alleged payments to politicians and others in addition to the alleged payments to Mr Burke," said Mr John Gallagher SC, for the inquiry. He was making the tribunal's first major public statement on its progress to date.
Considerable difficulty had been experienced in relation to many of these investigations. None the less, the tribunal had decided to hear evidence in public in relation to claims of payments to a number of politicians apart from the former Fianna Fail minister and certain admissions by some of them that they had received money or other benefits.
In the course of its inquiries the tribunal had become aware of "certain information in regard to rezoning and planning in the Dublin area" about which it had to decide whether "inappropriate or improper influences were brought to bear" on some members of the local authority "and on former senior local government officials" in the discharge of their public functions.
While it was his wish to "inform the public at this time" of the names of those alleged to have been involved, the tribunal was conscious of the necessity not to say anything that might be "premature, unfair or inflammatory", said Mr Gallagher. For that reason he did not propose to disclose any details about information "received in private" and currently being investigated, apart from confirming that the chairman, Mr Justice Flood, had yet to decide whether a public hearing was warranted in relation to some of them.
The current "Gogarty" module was almost completed, said Mr Gallagher, pending the outcome of a judicial review in the High Court scheduled for next Monday in relation to the examination of Caroline and Tom Bailey. The hearings were being adjourned until March 6th, when it is expected the current module will conclude.
The tribunal's second module will deal with the identification of the lands (Lots 1-6) referred to in a letter dated June 8th, 1989, from Mr Michael Bailey of Bovale Developments to Mr James Gogarty, the former JMSE chairman. The terms of reference require the tribunal to identify the land referred to in that letter and establish any change in the beneficial ownership "from that date to the time of the development of the lands".
Among the leading witnesses will be Ms Maire Ann Howard, solicitor to the tribunal, who has made extensive inquiries into these matters.
The third module will look further into the lands to establish their planning status under the county development plan current in 1989. It will also seek to establish the position with regard to servicing of the lands for development at that date as well as any proposed changes that might involve rezoning or applications for planning permission.
The main witnesses for this module will include Ms Sinead Collins, a former senior administrative officer with Fingal County Council and before that with Dublin County Council, and Mr Enda Conway, retired chief planning officer with South Dublin County Council. Mr Conway was a senior planner who prepared working papers relating to the review of the Dublin county development plan in 1983 and "was involved in the events" leading to the creation of the 1993 development plan.
"If necessary, other witnesses will be called in this module," said Mr Gallagher.
The fourth module will concentrate on whether the lands referred to in the letter of June 8th, 1989, were the subject of the following:
Rezoning resolutions;
Resolutions for material contravention of the relevant development plans;
Applications for special tax designation status under the Finance Acts.
This module will also investigate whether the lands were the subject of planning permission, servicing or fire certificate applications or bylaw approval.