Musgrave sought tax breaks for family businesses

John Moran, the former secretary general in the Department of Finance, lobbied the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan in recent months seeking State contracts for a Japanese bank.

Mr Moran, who was the top civil servant in the department from March 2011 until August 2014, has set up a private consultancy called RHH International.

The new State lobbying register records Mr Moran as having met Mr Noonan and Des Carville, who runs the unit that owns the State’s bank shares, following the bailouts. Mr Moran previously hired Mr Carville and was his superior at the department.

At the meeting held between September and December of last year, Mr Moran asked for State contracts for Japanese bank Nomura from "the government or government-supported banks".

He also lobbied Mr Noonan regarding State funding for a revamp of the Hunt Museum in Limerick.

Taxi laws

In addition, Mr Moran met the Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe on behalf of Uber, a driver-hire app. Uber is seeking changes in the laws surrounding taxi companies.

Meanwhile, Musgrave, the SuperValu operator with sales of more than €4.5 billion which is owned by a prominent Cork business family, lobbied the Government for tax breaks for family businesses.

Filings made this week show former chairman Hugh MacKeown, the last member of the extended family to run the Musgrave group, asked for “a more favourable tax regime that supports the longevity of family businesses” in discussions with Andrew McDowell, special adviser to the Taoiseach.

The company said yesterday it engaged in correspondence and meetings with Mr McDowell after Mr MacKeown made a speech last year, at which Enda Kenny was present, complaining that the system punished families who pass businesses on to the next generation.